YGOGX: Another Time
by Palaios
Summary: Just my GX Fanfic, introducing new characters as they begin their adventures at Duel Academy years after the original cast already graduated, meaning you're not likely to see any main characters from the GX series. I use several created cards.
1. Chapter 1

Duel Academy: Another Time…

**--**  
Chapter 1  
**--**

Ian couldn't help but stare at the massive structure of Duel Academy looming over him. _Finally,_ he thought to himself, _I made it into Duel Academy._

"Don't act like its such a big thing," chocked Mitch, his best friend who also happened to be getting into Duel Academy for the first time. "Yes, I can tell from the slack-jawwed look on your face that you think this place is all so very impressive, even if it's not."

"Well, it is," Ian protested. "All the best are from here. Did you know that both Truesdales were once here? And what about Princeton? And all those others..."

"Yeah, but all those guys were from years ago," Mitch shrugged, "I don't hear of many pros anymore that started out here. Only those who _really_ need help come here nowadays."

"But it's Duel Academy!" Ian protested, "and anyways, I'm gonna change that."

"If you say so," Mitch replied, dismissing the subject. "So," he smirked, "what Dorm did they put you in again?"

"Slifer Red," Ian grumbled. He had been hoping Mitch wouldn't bring that up. It was bad enough that Mitch was flaunting his Ra Yellow blazer while standing right next to him. Somehow, Ian didn't think his 'best friend' had really forgotten anything. Not with his sharp mind anyways. "You enjoy rubbing it in don't you?"

"Heh, cheer up," Mitch quirked, "I hear that Jaden guy or whatever his name was from there, and he did some pretty impressive stuff while he was here. Besides, if you get all depressed now, you won't be able to get bummed out by the rest of the crud you'll find out about later."

**--**

Turns out, after several hours of introductions, room assignments, speeches, and classes, that the other thing to worry about was homework. Despite being first-year students on their first day, the faculty spared no mercy in assigning lessons, pages to read, and assorted other things requiring a pencil and no life.

"This is inhumane," Ian cried out as he wandered back into his assigned room. After dumping his load of books onto the desk, he then proceed to collapse into the chair behind it. "I just came here to duel."

"Well man," Mitch answered as he followed in, "don't say I didn't warn you. But I guess I could've been more specific. I got a brother in the upperclassmen, and he warned me about the assignments some of these teachers hand out, even to first-years. I'm guessing that less than half the time most students spend here is actually spent dueling. You're finding out what they do with the rest of their time."

"Well, if I'd known that-"

"You'd still be here," Mitch interrupted, "and you know it."

Ian was silent for some time before answering grudgingly, "Yeah. I guess you're right."

"Look, how 'bout this to cheer you up. There's some students in an duel arena not to far from here doing practice matches. Whatsay we go watch a few?"

"Oh, I am so there," Ian exclaimed as he jumped out of his chair. "Let's go," he called as he ran out the door."

**--**

As they entered the Arena, the entire playing field exploded in a screen of holographic smoke. "And just like that, I blow up your entire field _and hand_ by using my Ocean Dragon Lord - Neo-Daedalus. And the cost is only discarding my Legendary Ocean from the field to my Graveyard. And with your field empty, I'm free to crush you with Neo-Daedalus's 2900 ATK!"

Lee Manoh, a Ra Yellow quickly rising to the top of his class, grinned as his water dragon roared and attacked his opponent, reducing the player's Life Points to 0. "And that's game." As the holograms vanished from the playing field, Lee wandered across to help up his opponent, who had tripped over himself as Neo-Daedalus attacked. "Your deck is solid, man, but you're relying too much on Continuous Spells. Blow em up and you're defenseless. I'd suggest stronger monsters, buddy."

"Thanks," the player answered, "I guess I'll give it a try."

"Great. SO, does anyone else want a lesson? How 'bout you, newbie?" he asked, pointing at Ian as he walked in.

"Who, me?"

"Yeah, you buddy. Judging from the jacket, I'd say you're a bit off on either the dueling or the testing. So come up here and give me hope that its the testing you're not doing good in. Then again, I'll probably just end up teaching you a thing or two anyways."

"You're awefully confident for someone who is just a Ra Yellow."

"'Just a Ra Yellow"? Oh, now its on, pal. You're just asking for it."

"Leave him alone, Lee," Mitch interrupted, "this guys got a big mouth and had a bad day. He doesn't need to add a beating to that list of nuisances."

"You know this guy?" Ian asked, turning to Mitch in confusion.

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention I had a roommate, didn't I?" Mitch answered, grinning in embarrassment.

"Yeah...you did."

"How 'bout this, Mitch; I'll go easy on our pal here."

"Go easy? No way," Ian interejected, "I'll take you on if you want."

Mitch simply sighed as Ian took his place and Lee returned to his. "Don't say I'm being mean when I kick your butt, buddy," Lee called out.

"Enough talk, Ian shouted back, "let's duel!"

Lee Ian  
4000 4000

"Okay, you want me to stop talking?"" Lee started, "then how 'bout I start the duel, pal? I start by activating a Spell card: A Legendary Ocean." A wave of water washed onto the field, which was shortly followed by ancient looking ruins surfacing from that water. "And since it knocks down the water monsters level by 1 on my field _and_ in my hand, it allows me to do this." Placing a card onto his duel disk in a decidedly purposeful manner, Lee chuckled as Terrorking Salmon burst from the water. "This friend of mine is normally 5 star, but not anymore. And here's the real kicker, his ATK jumps from 2400 to 2600 thanks to my Ocean's other effect."

_Damn,_ Ian thought to himself, _He's not gonna let up. Then again,_ Ian chuckled, /iThat's exactly what I want./i "You done now?"

"Yeah, I think that about does it. Now let's see if you're just talk, buddy."

"I'll show you," Ian called out as he drew a card. "And I think I'll start by playing this, a little monster called Forgotten Toy-Puppet."

**Forgotten Toy-Puppet  
Attrib: Dark  
Type: Spellcaster  
Level: 4  
1000/1500  
Once per turn, you can discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 Monster on the field. This monster cannot declare an attack on a turn this effect is used. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
**  
After the card materialized on the field, several strings burst forth, pulling a strange looking puppet with a wide mouth out of the card. Then, as if cut by invisible scissors, the puppet collapsed back onto its card. "This guy might not look like much with 1000 ATK, but what he lacks in strength he makes up for in appetite. By discarding 1 card from my hand, like Forgotten Toy-Jack here, I can let him destroy one of your monsters. Now, my Puppet, turn that fish into suishi!"

With Ian's words, the puppet rose to life and launched itself at the Terrorking Salmon, chomping it down in 1 bite.

"Hmph," Ian grinned, "You're lucky he can't attack the turn he uses his effect. And now, to wrap up my turn, I'll play my own Field Spell, Broken Toy Chest, and get rid of yours."

**Broken Toy Chest  
Field Spell  
If a monster with "Forgotten Toy" in its name is the target of an attack, increase the ATK of the attacked monster by 1000 during damage calculations only.**

With the appearance of a new field spell, the waters of A Legendary Ocean quickly receded, and the ruins disappeared. In their place rose a huge, decrepit toy chest. Although it was obviously worn, there was still something about it that made it seem alive. "With this, my Forgotten Toys can gain 1000 ATK whenever you declare an attack against them. Now, what do you think of me so far?"

"Not bad, my friend, you cleared my field faster than all get-up," Lee laughed, "I guess it was my bad for calling you a newbie. I'll take that back. Of course," he chuckled as he drew his next card, "I'll still have to beat you since you challenged me."

"Hmm...," Lee pondered, "I guess I have no choice but to set 1 monster and 1 card facedown. That's all I can do."

"Riight," Ian mumbled. _Quit acting like you don't have a plan. I'll figure out what you've got soon enough._ "Alright, my turn. I'll start by activating the shared ability of all my Forgotten Toys. By discard 1 of them, such as my Forgotten Toy-Reaper here, during my Main Phase, I can add that card and another Forgotten Toy to my hand during my next Standby Phase."

"And now, I summon Forgotten Toy-Teddy."

**Forgotten Toy-Teddy  
Attrib: Earth  
Type: Beast  
Level: 4  
1500/1000  
Increase this card's ATK by 500 for every other monster with "Forgotten Toy" in its name on the field. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.**

This time, instead of a puppet being pulled out by strings, it was an incredibly stitched up Teddy Bear heaving out its massive girth with its own two paws, which looked to be somewhat of a task. When it finally pulled itself out, it simply plopped down onto its card looking quite worn out. "This guy might look like he needs a trip to the gym, but he's no pushover. He starts at 1500 and gains another 500 for every other Toy on the field. So now, he's only up to 2000 with Puppet out, but I'll make sure he rises quickly."

"If you think so."

"I do," Ian quipped, "and now I'll remind you of my Puppet's effect." Ian discarded another card from his hand, and watched as Lee's facedown card, Aqua Madoor, was sent the Graveyard. "And with nothing to save you, I'll send Teddy to attack your Life Points directly!"

The bear, sensing Lee was open, launched itself into action, rushing forward quicker than a person would think a bear of such girth could move. "Nice try," Lee chuckled, "but I don't think he'll be going very far, buddy. I activate my Trap Card: Call of the Haunted. Say 'Hello' once more to Terrorking Salmon.""

Teddy's eyes bulged comically as Terrorking Salmon lanced back onto the field, swatting him back with ease. "And now it looks like you'll be losing some Life Points, pal, along with that monster."

Lee Ian  
4000/3600

_Dammit,_ Ian growled, _I knew I shouldn't have rushed it._ "Alright then, I'll set 1 card facedown and switch my Puppet into Defense Position."

"My move now?" Lee chuckled, "right then. Let's see, I'll make another simple move so that you can keep up, buddy. I'll set this monster here, and attack that pesky puppet of yours with my Terrorking Salmon."

"You wish," Ian shouted, "I activate my Trap card: Toy Exchange."

**Toy Exchange  
Normal Trap  
Activate when a "Forgotten Toy" monster on your side of the field is the target of an attack. Send the attacked monster to the Graveyard and Special Summon 1 monster from your Graveyard with "Forgotten Toy" in its name other than the attacked card.**

"This allows me to send 1 Forgotten Toy that's being attacked to the Graveyard, and Special Summon a different one to take the attack instead. So I'll bid Puppet goodbye for now, and summon back my Teddy. And thanks to Broken Toy Chest, he's up to 2500!"

As the trap activated, a hand reached forth from the card and pulled in Puppet, only to emerge with Teddy. Bellowing a roar of triumph, the bear easily brushed off Terrorking Salmon.

Lee Ian  
3900/3600

"Still think you'll beat me?" Ian challenged.

"I don't think I will, buddy," Lee retorted, "I know it. Show me what you've got, cause I'm just getting warmed up."

"Alright, I'll start by drawing a card," Ian explained, "and then I get my Toy's effect. I add my Forgotten Toy-Reaper and my Forgotten Toy-Jack back to my hand. Next I'll activate the Spell Card Thrown Away."

**Thrown Away  
Normal Spell  
Discard 2 "Forgotten Toy" monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard.**

"And I'll send Forgotten Toy-Ann and Soldier to my Graveyard."

"Odd," Lee commented, "why on earth are you tossing them _to_ the Graveyard?"

"Because," Ian grinned, "I'll just use my other Toys to bring them back. I'll discard the Jack and Reaper I just added to my hand for starters. Then I'll set 1 monster and attack your monster with Teddy."

"I counted on that," Lee laughed, "and set a perfect little friend for you. Take a look, buddy." As Teddy's paw struck the facedown card, a sword flashed forth, sending Teddy and and Ian's facedown back to his hand. "What do you think of my Penguin Soldier? Even though he dies, he'll be sending both of your monsters back to your hand."

"Argh," Ian growled, "I'll end."

"I thought you would," Lee chuckled, "and now it's time I ended this match. I"ll start by discarding my Warrior of Atlantis to add A Legendary Ocean to my hand. And why not? I'll activate it to get rid of the annoying toy chest of yours, friend." The tides washed in once again, crashing against the Broken Toy Chest and shattering it to pieces."

"Next I summon Nightmare Penguin. But don't worry, cause he won't be sticking around long. I activate my Spell: Big Wave Small Wave." The waters of A Legendary Ocean roared into action, swirling around and engulfing Nightmare Penguin.

"This fun little trinket lets me tribute all my water monsters to Special Summon up to the same number from my hand. But since there was only one tribute, I get only one monster. Then again, one is all I need. I summon Levia Dragon-Daedalus. But I'll also toss that to Special Summon Ocean Dragon Lord-Neo Daedalus." The waters that had consumed Nightmare Penguin parted, revealing a terrifying serpent sporting 2 heads and massive red fins on its back. ""And now the coup de grace, I'll discard A Legendary Ocean to destroy all your cards and force you to discard your hand!"

The waters of A Legendary Ocean roared to life once more, rising into a giant tidal waves that engulfed Ian's side of the field. As the waters subsided, Ian's field and hand were left empty.

"Dammit!" Ian exclaimed. _That leaves me utterly defenseless!_

"Heh," Lee chuckled, "you're looking like a fish outta water. Now, Neo-Daedalus, crush his Life Points."

Neo-Deadalus roared, smashing it's huge tail into Ian.

Next Chapter: Washed Away?


	2. Chapter 2

--

**--**  
Chapter 2  
**--**

Lee Ian  
3900 700

"Argh," Ian gasped, falling to his knees. _That blow almost defeated me. Anything more and I'm toast. _Lee's Neo-Daedalus settled back after the direct attack it had gained by blowing up everything on Ian's field and in his hand.

"I think I'll give you your last move now," Lee chuckled.

"Alright then," Ian answered, lifting himself to his feet, "I'm not through yet. After I draw, I get to add Reaper, Jack, and 2 more Toys to my hand. I'll set 1 monster and 1 facedown card, then I discard Reaper to get his effect next Standby Phase and end my turn."

"That's it?" Lee laughed, "that's your big comeback? Fine then, I'll crush your facedown card with Neo-Daedalus." The sea dragon roared in triumph once more as it crushed Ian's card. "Fine by me," Ian chuckled, "cause that was my Forgotten Toy-Serpent."

**Forgotten Toy-Serpent  
EARTH**

Reptile/Effect  
If this monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, Special Summon 2 "Serpent Part Tokens" (Reptile-type/Earth/2 star/500 ATK/500 DEF). By tributing 2 "Serpent Part Tokens" during your Standby Phase, you can Special Summon this monster form the Graveyard. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
**1000/1000  
**  
The tail smashing into Ian's card, revealing another stitched up animal. This one was a worn looking green snake, it's red tongue sticking out to one side. When the dust cleared, the snake remained, albeit broken into 2 pieces. "Stalling, eh buddy? Fine by me," Lee chuckled. "I'll call it a turn."

"Alright, my turn," Ian answered, ignoring Lee's comment, "and after drawing a card, I get two effects. First, Reaper and another Toy come back to my hand. Next, I can Special Summon my Forgotten Toy-Serpent from the Graveyard by tributing both tokens on the field." The two pieces, heeding Ian's words, extended their stitches towards each other and pulled themselves back together. Next I summon Forgotten Toy-Teddy."

"That guy again?" Lee laughed, "he just does not like losing, does he?"

"No, and neither do I. I activate Broken Toy Chest, and this time I'll activate my trap as well. It's time for Locking the Chest."

**Locking the Chest  
Continuous Trap  
This card can only be activated when "Broken Toy Chest" is on the field. Negate the effect of "Broken Toy Chest". Increase the ATK of all "Forgotten Toy" monsters by 1000. If "Broken Toy Chest" is removed from the field, destroy this card. You can control only 1 face-up "Locking the Chest" at a time.**

"But that means…"

"Yes," Ian laughed, "my Teddy is up to 3000 ATK. And he'll destroy Neo-Daedalus!" Teddy roared enough to match the serpent as it charged, striking the sea snake enough to send up an immense cloud of holographic smoke."

Lee Ian  
3800 700

"My Ocean Dragon Lord," Lee gasped, "batted away by a Teddy Bear?!"

"Indeed," Ian laughed, "and now Serpent will strike you directly for 2000 damage!"

This time the serpent slithered forth without a sound, quickly slipping up to Lee before snapping at his Duel Disk.

Lee Ian  
1800 700

"Ow," Lee quipped sarcastically, "that stung a bit. But I think it's time I ended this match, for real. I send another Warrior of Atlantis to my Graveyard, and activate the Legendary Ocean I get from him. And with Broken Toy Chest gone, so is its lock. Then I summon forth Amphibious Bugroth MK-3."

"No!" Ian shouted, realizing what this meant.

"Yep," Lee chuckled, "since A Legendary Ocean is also treated as Umi, Bugroth is given the ability to attack you directly. And with 1700 ATK, it's more than enough to end this match!"

The submarine looking monster sunk into the waters of A Legendary Ocean, and jetted straight for Ian, ducking under his monsters who floated above the waters. Ian let our a cry in anger as it struck him directly, ending the match.

As the holograms faded, Lee strolled up to Ian like he had done to his previous opponent. "You gave me one hell of a run for my money. If I hadn't drawn that Warrior of Atlantis when I did, I'm sure things could've turned out different. If you're up for a rematch, hit me up later. But right now I'm late for class, so I'll talk to you later." With those parting words, Lee hopped off the platform and rushed out the door.

"Crud," Ian mumbled to himself, pounding his fist on the floor. _It wasn't enough,_ he thought to himself, _I wasn't enough…but why?_

"Hey," Mitch called as he stepped up next to Ian, "you okay?"

"Yeah," Ian answered, standing up and brushing himself off, "but I gotta take off. I'll see you later."

"Yeah man, and don't take it so hard. Lee's been on a winning streak since showing up here."

"I told you, it's nothing," Ian called, walking away without waiting for Mitch to argue back. "I'll be in my dorm, don't come looking for me."

"Whatever you say man," Mitch answered, turning away to talk to some other Ra Yellows from the crowd.

**--**

Ian entered his dorm and slammed the door behind him. Scanning the room, he smiled just a slight amount. "At least my roommate hasn't showed up yet," he said to himself as he let himself fall into his bed.

"What about me," a stern female voice called out.

"And…uh…the rest of us," a male voice added hesitantly.

"Argh," Ian answered, "you guys don't count since no one sees you."

"Don't count! I'll show you 'don't count'!" the female voice shouted. Suddenly a shadowy figured barely a foot tall leaped from the edge of the bed, landing square on Ian's chest. Ian grunted and shifted so she'd fall off the side, then rubbed his chest. "Hey! Just because no one can see you doesn't mean you have to take it out on me!"

"Hmph," Ann answered, standing up and brushing her skirt. The semi-transparent ragdoll stood barely a foot high, but her force of personality made her seem much more imposing. "Whatever you say. And why didn't you use me during that duel?"

"Because the chance never came up."

"Yeah, well you didn't use Jack either. And you kept tossing poor Reaper back into the Grave."

"Hmph," Ian grumbled, "you'd think he wouldn't mind it. Now leave me alone."

"Fine, mope in peace, you sissy." Ann the Ragdoll Duel Spirit, as well as the Jack and Puppet who'd popped up on the bed corners, all disappeared, leaving Ian to mope in peace. _I'll get stronger,_ he thought to himself, _and show everyone here at Duel Academy what I'm really capable of._

"But first," he said to himself, feeling slightly better after making that promise to himself, "I guess I ought to get that stupid homework done."

**--**

And so began Ian's fun at Duel Academy. The next few weeks blurred by without anything particular occurring. Ian passed through his classes with little problem, well maybe a bit. Many nights he spent up late, cramming for a Dueling Theories exam or studying up on Extended Trap Usage quiz.

"Crud," he murmured on one of the particular nights, "there's gotta be an easier way."

"Ah…um…are you my roommate?" a voice called from the door.

Ian turned around to note the tall awkward person standing in the door wearing a Slifer Red jacket. "And you are?"

"I'm…Aaron Strobers," he continued in the same hesitant tone. "I'm here a little..uh…late I know, but..um…"

"Dude, what's the deal?"

Aaron looked startled at the interjection. "I'm sorry. I don't…like talking with people. It makes me nervous."

"Well, you picked a bad time to talk to me. I'm overstressed and loosing sleep. But whatever, pull up a bed and crash I guess."

"Umm…sure." Aaron paused in indecision before he figured out the empty bunk to set his stuff down quietly next to. "So..umm…"

"Well, I'd love to stay up and chat," Ian groans before standing up, "but I was about to hit the sack. It was nice meeting you, but I'm crashing."

"Oh..okay."

As Ian slipped himself beneath the covers, Ann was quick to manifest herself. "You know, you could be a little friendlier to the person who is apparently to be your roommate."

"Argh," he grumbled, "don't start with me."

"I'm just saying-"

"Don't start with me. If you can argue with me, you can chat with him."

"Err…who are you talking with?" Aaron called out from his side. "Wait, is that…"

"Wait," Ian interrupted, "don't tell me. You can see her?"

"I…uh…" Aaron turned around to face the wall again. "I didn't see anything."

"No, you did," Ian exclaimed, "and I want to know how. I thought I was the only one that saw this nuisance floating around."

"I see them…sometimes," Aaron answered without turning around. "I thought it was just my imagination. I've seen them around some of the top duelists…sometimes…"

"And I thought I was the only one," Ian commented. "And what about you?"

"I don't…have one. Apparently they don't like me."

"Now hold on one minute here!" Ann exclaimed, "you seem nice enough. Maybe you just haven't found the right Spirit. It's hard to meet the right card. With Ian and us Forgotten Toys it was easy. You see--mmph!" At that moment, Ian reached up and clasped his hands around her mouth.

"We don't talk about that to _anyone_," he ordered. "Especially not someone we just met." After freeing herself from his grasp, she grumbled a bit before muttering compliance. "Now, Aaron was it? You seem a bit more interesting than a few minutes ago, but I am rather tired from that stupid studying. So yeah, tomorrow we'll have a little chat to see what you know about them," he motioned towards Ann, "cause there's some stuff they either don't know or won't tell me."

"Oh…okay. Well, good night then."

"Yeah, whatever. And let me sleep now, Ann. Got another quiz to deal with tomorrow."

**--**

It seemed life had more surprises in store for Ian that day than a pop quiz in Gemini Monster 101. As he rushed from one class to another, it didn't take him long to bump into the bearer of said surprise…Lee.

"Hey, buddy, whassup? I was just looking for you."

"What do you want?"

"Well, theres a fond fair-thee-well. But yeah, as I was saying. Some Obelisk in the arena ripping up a second year."

"Big deal. You're point?"

"Well, my friend, this Obelisk is a first year!"  
"Whoa, that caught my attention. There aren't that many first-year Obelisks. So what's his name?"

"Well, uh…heh. I honestly can't tell you, buddy. I was in such a hurry that I kind of a hurry."

"Well, let's go see if we can find him…after my next class."

"Cool, dude. Check ya later. I gotta run. I heard about this wimpy Slifer that showed up last night and thought I'd see if I could…I dunno…help the guy out."

"Good luck. I'm his roommate and know firsthand how wimpy the guy is. But yeah…laters."

"Right, buddy." With that Lee ran off to whatever non-class destination he apparently had.

_God, this place is full of strangle people._

**--**

Apparently, the Obelisk was running a marathon, cause he was still trashing people when Ian's class was said and done. Lee was quick to rush him to the Arena. "Dang, what's the hurry?"

"Well, I thought that since you gave me such trouble, I thought you could provide a good show against this guy."

"A good show?" Ian exclaimed, "Sheesh, I'm gone."

"Now hold on, at least take a look at the guy. I won't make you duel him for my own amusement, pal."

"Right, and my middle name is Hoppersnappin," Ian replied sarcastically.

"Come on, we're already here," Lee chuckled, "we might as well."

"Why are you so set on introducing me to every Tom, olive, and Harry?"

"Because, it's no fun just going there myself. I also invited Mitch to show up, but I think he might be a little slow to get here."

"Maybe because he's used to you ragging on him to move it?"

"Hey, buddy, look at that!"

At about that time, the apparent Obelisk in question was calling out challenges. "Look," he called out, "I'm not asking for much, just something interesting."

"Fine," a female voice called out, "I'll take you on." Out of the crowd stepped another Obelisk Blue, a platinum blonde sporting a grin brighter then her hair. Brushing the hair from one side of her face, she lets the rest of it hang over one eye. "I think I'll have a lot of fun," she chuckled.

"Just you," the guy grinned. "I don't think so. Get up here then."

"Fine," she chuckled as she climbed up on the platform, "but I think I'll let you go first, so you have a chance."

"Alright, but I think I'll get your name first. Mine happens to be Joe Namorr."

"Oh, right. Of course. Mine's Milly Pegasus."

"Wait a minute…Pegasus…as in…"

"Yeeaah," she chuckled, "I'm the niece of Maximilian Pegasus. My deck is a gift from Uncle Maxi in fact."

"Uncle Maxi…yeeah…moving on. But if you'll let me go first…I'll start with setting this monster, then I'll set another facedown in the back row. Go ahead and show me what the niece of the creator of this game is capable of."

"Hehe, works for me. I'll go now. I'll start by playing Candy Warrior-Sour Soldier."

**Candy Warrior-Sour Soldier  
FIRE**

Warrior/Effect  
Each time this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflicts 300 damage to your opponent. During each of your Standby Phases, place 1 C-Counter on this card. An opponent's monster cannot declare an attack after battle with this card for a number of turns equal to the number of C-Counters on this card.  
1600/1000

As the card flashed into play, a warrior robes in bright red armor, speckled with transparent sprinkles, appeared above it. The dour expression on his face seemed mismatched compared with the bright armor. "Now, this big guy might seem a party pooper, but he's gonna get this ball rolling. Strike his facedown, Sour Soldier!"

The warrior let out a battle cry as he charged the facedown card. At the last second, he pulled out his sword, which was also red with sprinkles, and slashed Joe's card in half. The flash of the card in destruction revealed it to be Skelengel. "Heh, fine by me," Joe chocked, "Skelengel was flipped when you attacked him, so even though he dies...I draw a card."

"Hehe, that's fine. My Sour Soldier has a fun effect too. Whenever he mops the floor with one of your monsters, you take 300 direct damage." About this time, sprinkles escaped from Sour Soldier's sword, splattering over Joe. He coughed as his Life Points receded.

Joe Milly  
3700 4000

"But don't think I'm done yet, Joey-boy, cause I have a Spell to show you as well. I activate Extra Sprinkles."

**Extra Sprinkles  
Spell  
Place 1 C-Counter on 1 monster on your side of the field.**

"And of course I put the counter on my Sour Soldier. I'll finish by setting a facedown card here. You can go now."

"Good, then I'll set another monster and a new facedown. Take your turn."

"Fine then, Joey-boy, I will. I should let you know, since you ignored poor Sour Soldier here, he gains another C-Counter during my Standby Phase. And next, I'll summon Candy Warrior-Lollipop Lady."

**Candy Warrior-Lollipop Lady  
LIGHT**

Warrior/Effect  
When this card is face-up on your side of the field, increase the ATK of all "Candy Warrior" monsters by 500. During each of your Standby Phases, place 1 C-Counter on this card. An opponent's monster cannot declare an attack after battle with this card for a number of turns equal to the number of C-Counters on this card.  
1000/1000

The card flashed into play, revealing a lady wearing a fluffy pink dress covered in frills, and wielding a giant sucker. The lady snickered before raising her sucker up higher. A pale pink glow descended from it, luminating both Lollipop Lady and Sour Soldier momentarily before fading away. "With her effect, she raises herself to 1500 and Sour Soldier to 2100. Now Soldier, strike down that set monster!"

Sour Soldier charged once more, but Joe was quick to respond. "Not just yet. Before you get too close, I activate my trap cards: two copies of Reckless Greed. They give me a total of 4 cards to my hand, but prevents me from drawing for the next 2 turns." After adding 3 cards from his hand to his deck, Joe grinned and continued, "so now we finish what you began. Sour Soldier was attacking my monster, correct? Well, fine. Appear Muka Muka, and show her your strength!"

Sour Soldier struck the facedown with a grin, but was shocked as steam gushed forth and his weapon bounced off the crab-like creature's heavy carapace. "He may start with only 300 DEF, but he grows quickly. He'll gain 300 for every card in my hand, and at 8 cards, he's up to 2700 DEF!"

Sour Soldier bounced back to Milly's field, kicking up dust as he collapsed back to his place. Milly cried out as the failed attack damaged her Life Points.

Joe Milly  
3700 3400

"So, still so sure you're going to win?"

"Heh," she chuckled, "Oh yes, Joey-boy. I do _think_ I'm going to win, and I certainly _know_ I'm going to enjoy it!"

Next Chapter: Candy on the Rocks…


	3. Chapter 3

Duel Academy: Another Time…

**--**  
Chapter 3  
**--**

Joe Milly  
3700 3400

"Righty-oh then, I guess I'll finish off by setting a new facedown card and ending my turn," Milly chuckled.

"Right," Joe answered, "And this is my first draw I skip thanks to Reckless Greed. But it doesn't matter. I'll start by switching Muka Muka to Attack Mode, then I summon Giant Rat to the field. And now I-"

"Do nothing, Joey-boy," Milly snickered, "cause I use my trap card: Overindulgence."

**Overindulgence  
Normal Trap  
Discard 1 "Candy Warrior" from your hand to the Graveyard. Your opponent cannot declare an attack this turn.**

"And I discard my Candy Warrior-Gumdrop Girl to do that. So you won't be hurting my little sweeties this turn."

"Uh, right," Joe continued, obviously thrown a bit off by how affectionate Milly was towards her cards. "I guess I'll set 1 card and end my turn."

"Oh, goody, it's my turn. But first both of my Candy Warriors gain another C-Counter. And now, I'll start by using this card to get rid of that pesky Muka Muka. I activate Follow the Sweets!"

**Follow the Sweets  
Normal Spell  
Tribute 1 face-up "Candy Warrior" on your side of the field. Destroy 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field.**

"So I send Lollipop Lady to the Graveyard, and Muka Muka has no choice but to follow."

"Grr…fine. But while we're at it, I activate The Transmigration Prophecy, and send both of my Reckless Greeds back to my Deck."

"Oh fine, do whatever you want. But now my Sour Soldier will strike down that ugly little rat!"

Sour Soldier charged unheeded once more, and neatly sliced Giant Rat in half, spilling sprinkles onto Joe once again. "And don't forget that his effect adds another 300 onto the 200 damage you take from Giant Rat dying."

Joe Milly  
3200 3400

Joe growled as his Life Points disappeared, but didn't look too angry. "Fine, but I get an effect that benefits me from Giant Rat dying in battle. He lets me summon Enraged Muka Muka from my deck. And even though he starts low like the lesser version you just blew up, he grows even faster. After hitting the field, he's up to 3600 ATK!"

"But, that's not fair!" Milly gasped. "Oh poo, fine. I end."

"That's all," Joe laughed, "well, guess I was expecting too much. This is the second and last draw I'll be skipping, but I think I'll have this duel cinched in no time. I'll start by setting 5 cards, lowering my Enraged Muka Muka to 1600. But it doesn't matter, he's still enough to destroy that Sour Soldier without incurring that annoying stall afterwards."

The steaming crustacean creature charged Sour Solder, who valiantly struck back. An explosion erupted as they destroyed each other. "But haven't you forgotten, Joey-boy? Whenever Sour Soldier destroys a monsters, you take 300 damage."

Joe Milly  
2900 3400

"It's a paltry price to pay for what I have planned for you. Now go, before I change my mind."

"Testy, aren't we? Well then fine, sweetie, but don't say I didn't warn you. I'll start by activating that little trap card I set last turn. It goes by the name of Candied Whistle Call."

**Candied Whistle Call  
Continuous Trap  
During your Main Phase, you can send the top card from your Deck to the Graveyard. Special Summon from the Graveyard as many "Candy Warrior" monsters as possible. If this card is removed from the field, destroy all monsters that were Special Summoned by this effect.**

"So I send the top card on my deck, which just happens to be another Gumdrop Girl, to the Graveyard, and now I Special Summon all my Candy Warriors from there to the field."

"Not so fast. I play my trap card as well. Go, Threatening Roar!"

"Huh? Oh, you. That's like what I just did. Stop copying me," Milly laughed at her own joke. "But fine, I bring out both Gumdrop Girls, and Lollipop Lady, all in Defense Position. But I'll summon Sour Soldier in Attack Position to give you a little scare, hehe."

**Candy Warrior-Gumdrop Girl  
LIGHT**

Warrior/Effect  
This card inflicts 500 damage to your opponent during the End Phase of your turn. During each of your Standby Phases, place 1 C-Counter on this card. An opponent's monster cannot declare an attack after battle with this card for a number of turns equal to the number of C-Counters on this card.  
1000/1000

Along with Lollipop Lady and Sour Soldier flashing back onto the field, she was joined by 2 more monsters that were mirror images of each other. Gumdrop Girl looked much like she could be Lollipop Lady's younger sister, but wore a purplish dress with much more frills, and each carried a small bag slung over their shoulder. Both Gumdrop Girls looked at each other and snickered, casting glances quickly towards Joe. "But I don't like to let them sit out here all alone. Meet their canine companion, Gumdog."

**Gumdog  
WATER**

Beast/Effect  
This card is changed to defense position when it is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned. As long as this card remains face-up on your side of the field, your opponent cannot designate "Candy Warrior-Gumdrop Girl" as the target of an attack.  
100/1900

Now a purple puppy flashed into play, barking happily as both Gumdrop Girls rushed to it and started petting it before quickly returning to their places. "They little girlies love him, and he loves them back. With him out, you can't attack my Gumdrop Girls anytime soon."

"Whatever. Are you done yet?"

"Oh, such impatience. Fine, Joey-boy, if you insist, I'll let you go. But," she taunted as Joe reached to draw, "not before my Gumdrop Girls get to play a little trick on you. You see, at the end of each of my turns, each of them gets to inflict 500 points of damage to your Life Points. Get him girls!"

Both Gumdrop Girls, who had been snickering the whole time, launched into action, reaching into the little bags they had slung over their shoulders, and pulled out the item which gave them their names. Reaching back, both slung their gumdrops at Joe, exploding on impact.

Joe Milly  
2200 3400

"They'll regret that soon enough. My turn, and now I get to draw. So first, I use that card I drew. I activate Fissure, and blow up your Gumdog."

The little puppy yipped as ground formed beneath it, cracking open to swallow the dog whole. "But I'm not done yet," Joe exclaimed, "cause now I play Premature Burial to get back my Enraged Muka Muka. But why stop there when I can chain one of the cards I set last turn? I'll use Inferno Reckless Summon along with that to get the other two out of my deck. Altogether, it'll cost me 800 Life Points, but it's sure to be worth it."

Joe Milly  
1400 3400

Joe grinned as three Enraged Muka Mukas appeared on the field, creating a huge cloud of steam above the playing field.

"But," Milly questioned, "those little things are only at 1200. What could you possibly do with them?"

"I'm glad you asked, cause now I choose to activate the rest of the cards I set last turn. I activate 3 copies of Jar of Greed, adding 3 cards to my hand. But I won't stop there, I also flip over my facedown monster, revealing it to be Dark Mimic LV1, which adds another card to my hand. Altogether, that's an addition of 4 cards to my hand, raising up _all_ my Enraged Muka Mukas to 2800. And now, I'll start by using two of them to destroy those annoying little girls."

Both Gumdrop Girls cried out and grabbed ahold of each other as Enraged Muka Mukas leapt towards them, landing in an explosion of holographic dust. "And now to dispose of your Sour Soldier!" Joe exclaimed.

The last Enraged Muka Muka charged forward, crushing the Sour Soldier to pieces.

Joe Milly  
1400 2800

"And it seems unfortunate that I cannot continue, but Dark Mimic LV1 is too weak to destroy Lollipop Lady. I'll set 1 card and let it be your turn."

"Hmph, meanie. You'll pay for destroying them all. So first I draw, then Lollipop Lady gains a counter. I start by equipping Lollipop Lady with Sugar Rush."

**Sugar Rush  
Equip Spell  
A monster equipped with this card has its ATK doubled. During your second End Phase after activating this card, decrease the monster's ATK to 0. This card cannot be destroyed by a card's effect or returned to the hand.**

As she played the spell, a pouch appeared on a strap over Lollipop Lady shoulder. Reaching in, she pulled out a bag of sugar candies, and munched it down in no time. Feeling supercharged, Lollipop Lady readied her weapon for an attack. "This raises her to 3000 ATK, well than enough to handle what you have. So now, I attack that ugle little box thing and end this duel, Joey-boy!"

"Heh," Joe laughed, "I think now. Time to reveal my set card: Book of Moon. This allows me to turn my Dark Mimic LV1 into Face-Down Defense Position, so for starters I'll be taking no damage from this attack. And next, I add a new card to my hand, raising all the Enraged Muka Mukas back to 2800 ATK."

The Dark Mimic disappeared as its card went facedown, but quickly reappeared when Lollipop Lady struck it, only to shatter upon destruction. Joe could only grin as he drew a new card.

"No, that wasn't supposed to happen! Hmph, fine then. I set a new monster and end my turn, spoil sport," Milly finished, whispering the end to herself.

"Good, I draw, raising my monsters to 3200 ATK. But I think I'll lose the boost and rather activate the card. Say good-bye to Sugar Rush because I activate Mystical Space Typhoon. Now to wipe out your monsters; and I'll start by taking out that Lollipop Lady first."

The first Enraged Muka Muka charged forth, crushing the still supercharged Lollipop Lady to dust.

Joe Milly  
1400 1500

"And next I destroy that facedown monster."

The second Enraged Muka Muka charged forth, smashing into Milly's card with a gush of steam.

"Fine, but that card happens to be my Sticky Sucker."

**Sticky Sucker  
LIGHT**

Aqua/Effect  
If this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Candy Warrior" monster from your deck.  
800/1000

"And he's so sticky, he'll pull my Lollipop Lady to the field in Defense Position."

"I don't care, she'll be crushed by my last monster."

The third and final Enraged Muka Muka charged forth, stamping Lollipop Lady into pieces. "Now, that's all I can do now. I'll set 1 card let you take your last move and see what comes of it."

"Last move," Milly repeated, "Oh, I don't think that's quite right, Joey-boy. I start by drawing, then I summon my third Lollipop Lady to the field, and then send the top card of my deck, a yummy little friend called Captain Chocolate, to the Graveyard to activate Candied Whistle Call again. You do remember that card, right? It gives me back Sour Soldier, both Lollipops, and Captain Chocolate himself."

**Candy Warrior-Captain Chocolate  
EARTH**

Warrior/Effect  
Each time this card destroys an opponent's monster in battle, increase the ATK of this card by 500. During each of your Standby Phases, place 1 C-Counter on this card. An opponent's monster cannot declare an attack after battle with this card for a number of turns equal to the number of C-Counters on this card.  
2000/2500

Rising in a brown flash of light, a massive warrior coated in slightly syrupy brown armor rose, brandishing a broad sword made of chocolate squares. The warrior grinned and heaved his sword onto his shoulder in preparation for battle.

"And with three sweet little Lollipop Ladies on my field, all my monsters get 1500 added to their ATK. That puts Captain Chocolate up to 3500! And next I'll use a Spell by the name of All the Toppings."

**All the Toppings  
Quick-Play Spell  
Select 1 face-up "Candy Warrior" monster you control. Destroy it and distribute new C-Counters equal to its level among your monsters.**

"This let's me send Sour Soldier to the grave, and put 4 brand new C-Counters onto Lollipop Lady. To top this just desert for you, I'll strike down an Enraged Muka Muka with Captain Chocolate."

Captain Chocolate charged the living rock, slicing downward with one mighty stroke of his sword to split the creature in half.

Joe Milly  
1200 1500

"And now, Joey-boy," Milly chuckled, "you take _your_ last turn, cause even though I've had a lot of fun with this duel, I'm going to end it my next turn."

"You think so? Fine, then I draw, raising my last two Mukas up to 4000, enough to match Captain Chocolate."

"Nope," Milly grinned, "cause he gained 500 when he killed your third little crab."

"Hmm…well, then I guess I'll tribute my Enraged Muka Muka to summon Grasschopper. Next I play Swords of Revealing Light. I'll end my turn with that."

"Stalling," Milly laughed, "but oh, I thought you knew better than that, Joey-boy. My deck is at its best the longer the duel takes, so I enjoy it being drawn out like this. But sadly, I'm going to end it. After drawing, each of my Candy Warriors gain a new counter. And next I play Bon Bon Bomb!"

**Bon Bon Bomb  
Normal Spell  
Remove 4 C-Counters from the field to destroy 1 card on your opponent's side of the field. This effect cannot be negated.**

"So, by giving up the 4 counters I stuck on Lollipop Lady, I can destroy a card on the field, like that annoying Swords you have in play. And with them gone…"

"No, you can't…"

"Yes, I can and will. Captain Chocolate! Strike down his Enraged Muka Muka for the win!"

Captain Chocolate hollered a victory cry before striking out with his sword one more, obliterating Joe's Enraged Muka Muka and his Life Points.

"Hmph," Joe chuckled as the holograms faded, "well, I guess that was to be expected. Both from an Obelisk and a relative of the man who made this game. Good game, but don't think you're be so lucky next time."

"Hehe," Milly laughed, "no, I'll be even luckier!" Laughing at Joe's shock, she quickly hopped off the platform and hurried out of the arena.

Jumping down after her, Joe stared at Lee and Ian, who happened to still be seated next to the entrance. "Did she just? I can't believe that woman!" Stalking off back towards a group of Obelisks, both of them heard him call back, "you two seemed to have enjoyed the duel, especially you there who's been watching the last three. Let's hoped you learned something to help you through the dorms." Before Ian or Lee could respond, he was already too far away to hear them.

"That was…interesting," Ian commented.

"Sure was. I was beginning to think this guy was unbeatable, but then she just…and he…and then she…I mean, wow! That was an incredible match! And she's related to _the_ Pegasus? Wow. Buddy, I am so loving this. But, I can't help but feel like he was mocking us in the end."

"You think? But I have some studying to do, so I'll see you later."

As Ian made his way for the door, his attention was caught by the person walking in. _That's Aaron. What's he up to? And why does he look so determined?_

Indeed, it was Aaron, who determinedly walked straight towards Mitch, who had somehow appeared next to Lee when Ian wasn't looking, and called out, "I challenge you to a duel."

"Huh?" Mitch could only reply, "who are you and why are you challenging me?"

Cringing as if struggling to keep it together, Aaron continued, "I heard you were a really good Ra Yellow, and if I beat you…well, I have to duel you."

"Dude, take on someone else. I don't have the time to waste on glory-seeking…"

"Hey, pal," Lee interrupted, "give our friend here a chance. It's obvious someone put him up to it, so maybe you should give him a good show. Besides, I haven't seem them cards of yours in action yet."

"Lee, you can't be serious," Mitch questioned.

"No, I'm seriously serious, buddy. Duel him. What harm could it do?"

"Well, for starters, it looks like this guy is going to bolt at a second's notice, and I don't want to give him the wrong impression. But screw it, if you insist. Now stop staring. And, oh hey Ian! Where are you going? Stick around. I need someone not-crazy to stick around. And you, pal, what's your name."

"I'm…Aaron Strobers," Aaron stammered.

"Well, Mr. Aaron Strobers, today's your lucky day. Most students tend to only duel others from their dorm, but you're lucky enough to duel someone a step up. So hop up there, and let's see if you can back up that challenge."

Responding to Mitch's acceptance of his challenge, Aaron didn't so much as hop up to the platform as scurry. Mitch simply strolled along to his place, and calmly activated his duel disk. "And since I'm such a nice guy, I'll even let you go first."

Seemingly startled by this gesture, Aaron could only look dumbfound before finally drawing his cards. "Alright then, I, uh…set 1 monster and…1 facedown. Then I end."

"It's a good start, but I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that to back up that challenge. I'll start by activating Mystical Space Typhoon on your facedown card."

Aaron gasped as the vortex struck his facedown Magic Cylinder, crushing it and sending it to the Graveyard. "I'm sorry if you planned on using that. And now it's time to summon Shadowknight Archfiend."

As the card materialized onto the field, blackness creeped forth, finally spilling out Shadowknight Archfiend, who merely spread its wings and readied its sword for battle. "And without further ado, I strike down you facedown monster."

Shadowknight leapt forward, slashing Aaron's card to shred, revealing it to be Shien's Footsoldier. Aaron shielded himself defensively as Shadownknight settled back into its original place. "Now, aren't you going to use Footsoldier's effect?"

"Oh, right. I…uh…summon Six Samurai-Yaichi from my deck to the field in Defense Position."

"Good, but don't think I'll remind you of all your cards effects. Now, before I end, I'll be activating the Field Spell Pandemonium."

Abrupt enough to make Aaron jump, the field was completely consumed by what appeared to be an ancient and creepy temple grounds. The 'sky' changed to overcast, and was tinted orange. "With this, I won't have to pay the cost of having my Archfiend's out, among other things. And to be safe, I also activate Field Barrier. Now, show me what you are capable of, and don't let me down. I'm sure you have the moves to defend against me. If not, well…heh, then shouldn't have challenged me."

Next Chapter: Archfiend's Strike! Samurai Counter-Attack?


	4. Chapter 4

centerb--/b

--  
Chapter 4

Mitch Aaron  
4000 4000

Mitch watched with displeasure as Aaron cringed while ShadowKnight Archfiend settled back down after his attack. "Hmph," he noted, "you'll never get far with that attitude. Go, it's your turn."

Aaron gulped before starting. "Alright, I draw," he paused to look at his hand, "then I…uh…summon Spirit of the Six Samurai. Then I… I also play the Equip Spell Card Legendary Ebon Steed on Yaichi. Then I think I equip Spirit of the Six Samurai to Yaichi."

"You 'think'?" Mitch chuckles, "Hmph, pick up the pace. I'd like to see what happens before I rot."

Aaron flinched like Mitch's words had substance. "Right, sorry. Well, I guess that puts Yaichi up to…uh…2000 ATK. And I send him after ShadowKnight. Okay?"

"'Okay'? Heh, look buddy," Mitch explained, "It doesn't matter if it's okay or not. What matters is if it will make you win. Be glad I'm not trash talking you like some Obelisk or something. So fine, your Yaichi will slash my ShadowKnight to pieces. Big deal."

About that moment was when Yaichi was actually launching towards ShadowKnight, destroying him in a flurry of slashes. But, Mitch refused to flinch even as the hologram exploded. "You done yet?"

"Uh…the effect of my union monster gives me an extra card, but I lose Ebon Steed and 200 ATK. Then I end."

Mitch Aaron  
3800 4000

"Right, then it's time I made my move. I'll start by drawing, and then I summon Archfiend Soldier. But his attack isn't enough, so I'll continue by equipping it with Axe of Despair, boosting his ATK to 2900. Now, my Soldier, return the favor he granted to your comrade."

Archfiend Soldier leaped forward, brandishing his sword with deadly precision to strike Yaichi a deadly blow. Holographic smoke erupted from the battle. "It's unfortunate; however, that Yaichi doesn't die."

Mitch Aaron  
3800 3000

"Uh…right…I lose my equipped monster instead."

"Correctly, so I guess I'll set 1 card and end my turn."

"Okay…I guess I draw. And now-"

"Will you quit with the "I guess" bits? My god, man up or ship out. You either do or you do not, never try or 'guess'. Got it?"

"Uh…uh…uh."

"Argh," Mitch groaned, "if you're going to play like this then I don't even think I'll play you. Maybe I'll go find someone else a bit more worthy. Why did you even challenge me in the first place?"

"I…uh…I was…"

"Quit that! What's wrong with you man? I ought to just leave."

"No!" Aaron shouted, startling the crowd as well as Mitch. "You'll duel me. And I'll prove to him that I deserve to use his Six Samurai!"

"What in the world are you talking about?" Mitch asked, glad that his little speech had gotten Aaron worked up, but unsure of what was going on now. Unfortunately, Aaron wasn't listening. "I'll start by summon The Six Samurai-Kamon to the field. And now I play The A. Forces. This boosts all my Warriors by 200 for every one on the field, so they both go up 400. But I'm not stopping now, I use Kamon to blow up your Axe of Despair, then I equip a second Ebon Steed to Yaichi and send it to destroy that disgusting monster."

Yaichi launched into action once more, striking down Archfiend Soldier with ease. "But he gets a second attack since there's another Six Samurai on the field, so I deal 1700 damage on top of that!"

Mitch Aaron  
1700 3200

"Well, I don't have a clue what you're going on about, but at least you're a threat now," Mitch chuckled, "So, is it my turn."

Aaron, seeming to come out of a dream, realized what he was doing. "Uh…I end."

"And he's back. Oh well, I'll crack that shell of yours yet. And this should do it. I'll start by playing Warrior of Zera. Then, I'll tribute it to Special Summon Mazera Deville. Among other things, this one has a wondrous effect of-"

"Making me discard 3 cards!" Aaron gasped, realizing what Mazera was, "but that's my entire hand."

"Then you won't be making much good out of them." Mitch chuckled once more to himself as he watched Aaron discard his cards. "And with 2800 ATK, he's more than enough to handle your Yaichi. Then again, it'll live again, so first I'll have some fun. I activate Lightning Vortex, and discard InfernalQueen Archfiend to destroy both your Kamon and your Yaichi."

"Now, I could drag out this match, but I'll give you one more chance to not be such a wuss. I activate my set card, Call of the Haunted. But instead of bringing back Archfiend Soldier and killing you, I bring back InfernalQueen. Don't get me wrong though. You will lose on your next turn. But for now, I set loose Mazera to destroy Yaichi."

Mazera rushed in, crushing Yaichi to dust and smashing Aaron's Life Points. "And now I send in InfernalQueen." InfernalQueen swept up her arms in a grand gesture, then spread one out in a circle pattern, sending a wave of negative glowing energy crashing at Aaron, lowering his Life Points even further.

Mitch Aaron  
1100 1100

"There, tie game. I dare you to defeat me," Mitch taunted. "I finish my turn by setting 2 cards.

Just like when he responded to Mitch's taunted before, a look of complete fearlessness overtook Aaron. "I…will…win!" he exclaimed.

"Then prove it!" Mitch answered back.

"Watch me," Aaron returned, "I start by removing Yaichi and Kamon from play to Special Summon Enishi, Shien's Chancellor."

"Heh, I was expecting than. I respond by activating Bottomless Trap Hole, so he is removed from play. Do you really expect to win with such predictable moves?"

"I…," Aaron paused for a moment, realizing he was unable to do anything. "I…can't…win." He sagged to the floor in defeat.

"Yup, but don't look so shocked. It could happen to anyone, especially those who started out as hesitantly as you. I don't think I need to explain what happens next. During my Standby Phase, I boost Mazera to 3800, then equip it with an Axe of Despair for a final flare, and crush your Life Points for game."

Walking past the fading holograms, Mitch stopped and stared down at Aaron. "You've got a good deck, but your attitude sucks. I'm not surprised you're here. Someone wrapped up in a shell like you would never last out there in professional dueling, so you come here hoping to boost your ego, is that it?"

Aaron didn't reply, but only stared at the floor. "Hmph," Mitch continued, "fine. Don't respond. Just listen. Check the shell at the door. If you want to use armor, then use the right kind." Mitch dropped a card to Aaron before walking off. Finally moving, Aaron picked up the card to look at it. Without saying a word, he stood up and slowly left the Arena.

_Hmm…,_ Ian thought, _Another out to prove himself. Meh, not that I care much, but with him being able to see Ann and the others, and now this…I hate to say it, but he seems more and more like me. How odd that we ended up roommates._

--

Meanwhile, in the shadows of the forests near the edge of school grounds, a figure crept in silent glee. Soon, the shadow thought, my plans will be set into motion. I merely need…

The figure stopped when he heard the voices. About that time, several feet ahead of him, Milly came bounding through the brush. The girl's familiar platinum blonde hair bobbed up and down as she frolicked through the shadows. Even at a glance, one could tell she was the type that was elegant without trying too hard, or really trying at all. She ran several paces, even so much as to jog past the figure, before another showed up behind here. "Come on, Ritsuko, she yelled, "you're so slow!"

"Well," her friend called out, "I'm not as hyped up as you are. And I can't believe you convinced me to come along." A second figure came bounding out of the brush, but quite different from Milly. This, skinny, little lady stumbled through the brush, tripping on every little stick that crossed her path. Her red blazer also contrasted with Milly's blue one.

"Aww, silly," Milly answered, "quit whining. It's only a little further. And besides, it's an abandoned dorm! Isn't that just sweet?"

"Not really," Ritsuko answered dryly, "I've heard bad things about that place, like it's cursed and that students don't come back from there."

"That's nonsense, "Milly answered, folding her arms defiantly, "those other girls were just trying to scare you.

"Well, it worked. I'm scared."

"Coming from you," Milly chuckled, "But oh well. Come on, let's get going." Without waiting for a reply, Milly charged back off into the forest, quickly to be followed by Ritsuko.

Good, the figure thought, that was too close. If I'm revealed too early, my plans will be for naught. But this worries me as well. Activity in that place has been high, and the students shouldn't be going there. I must figure out some way of stopping them…but how?" Then it struck. The plan to make sure both girls didn't…see…anything they shouldn't, and go back to tell the academy. The figure quickly traced its steps back where it came from.

--

About this time, Ian had almost made it back to his dorm room, but was stopped when he heard someone calling out to him. Turning around, he saw the Obelisk, Joe. Following him was Lee. "Hello there," Joe called out, "have you seen that Pegasus girl around here?"

"Why would she be around here? She's an Obelisk just like you. This is getting close to the Red Dorm."

"Well," Joe snapped, "she's not over there, nor is she at Ra Yellow. I figured she'd be in the Arenas, but she's not there either, and I want a rematch."

"Heh... Big bad Obelisk has a score to settle?"

"Hey, buddy, "Lee interrupted, "ease up on the guy. Our friend here isn't that bad if you'd talk to him. He's alright for an Obelisk."

"Sure," Ian shrugged, "but yeah, I haven't seen her around here. I'd suggest finding your girlfriend somewhere else."

"Girlfriend!" Joe choked, "she is not my girlfriend."

"Uh huh…right," Ian replied in sarcasm.

"Hmph," Joe muttered, "and I thought we were supposed to be the bad ones."

"Yeah, man, what's up with you?"

"I'm just tired, that's all," Ian answered, "not that it's any of your business."

Joe was again about to respond, but before they could get into it, a female Obelisk walked by, who was quickly stopped by Lee. While moving to intercept her, he also purposely ran between Joe and Ian to interrupt their argument. "Hey, maybe you can help us. Have you seen someone recently about this tall," he motioned with his hands at about Milly's height, "with pale blonde hair and the last name Pegasus?"

"Oh yeah, her, "the girl answered, "that one. Yeah, she ran off to the abandoned dorm with Ritsuko. I swear that girl has no fear."

"Ritsuko?"

"No, Milly. Nothing gets to her. And we tried so hard to scare her. We only ended up scaring Ritsuko, which Milly ended up dragging along with her." she replied with a slight shrug before taking off to get back to what she was doing before.

"Well great, thanks," Lee replied, then he turned back to Joe and Ian, "well, pals, there you go. That wasn't so hard, was it? Let's go get her."

"Let's?" Ian repeated, "uh, no. I think I'll sit out whatever zany adventure you have planned."

"Besides," Joe added, "I don't need you guys to tag along. Thank you Lee, but I can handle this myself."

"No way," Lee argued, "if you duel Milly again, I totally have to watch."

"Whatever, let's get going then."

"Alright, See you later, buddy," he called back to Ian as they took off.

_Crazy people and their rule breaking,_ Ian thought, _won't be seeing me doing something like that. Sneaking off to the abandoned dorm. Oy, what's next? Breaking in to Duel Arenas in the middle of the night to challenge the best duelist? Puh-lease. I'm going to bed._ Ian yawned and walked back to his room.

--

Meanwhile, Milly and Ritsuko drew closer to the abandoned dorm. "Are we there yet?" Ritsuko asked.

"Hey," Milly responded, "I thought you didn't want to go with me here?"

"Well, I don't," Ritsuko started, "but I don't want to be wandering around out here either!"

"Sissy," Milly chuckled, "come on, I'm sure it's just around over here."

The two traipsed around for more or less another half hour before arriving near the abandoned dorm. Of course, neither one of the girls knew that at the moment. "I'm sure it's around this last turn," Milly announced.

"But that's what you said 30 minutes ago!"

"Well, now I mean it!"

"Hello!" came a sudden voice from above. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once, and also seemed to echo hauntingly over the night air. A moment later, a dark shadow came swinging upside down from the tree next to the lost duo and extending his hand in greeting. He stretched out his hand in greeting while keeping the other tucked into the pocket of his black jacket.

"Ahh!!" Ritsuko screamed, slapping the stranger across the cheek. He had to return his outstretched hand to the branch just to keep from falling on his face.

"Ow," he gasped, rubbing his cheek. "What in the world was that for?" he asked towards Ritusko, who had already hidden herself behind Milly.

"It doesn't matter," Milly responded, "who you are is what I want to know."

"Oh, sorry," the stranger chuckled, "silly me. My names Victor. Victor Byron. Terribly sorry about scaring you like that. I was just out hanging around and thought I'd drop in on a couple of lost girlies. By the way, why _are_ you out here anyways?"

"Uhh," Milly chuckled, "you see, I thought it'd be fun for us to see this abandoned dorm, but it seems to not wanna see us."

"Hmm, quite a pickle of a problem to deal with." chuckled the stranger. "But hey, how 'bout a duel instead of hunting down some runaway dorm?"

"Who, me?" Milly queried slowly.

"Yeah, you. That other one there looks a little…scared."

"Oh, Ritsuko? Yeah, she's a bit skittish you could say. But yeah, this is boring, let's go duel."

"Great, I saw this clearing a little back and thought it'd be perfect. Let's go."

--

At about this time, Joe and Lee had entered the same area. "So, where to now?"

"I dunno," Lee replied, "I thought you knew."

"Of course not, why would I know my way around here?"

"I'm just saying…"

"Meh, it doesn't matter. That Milly's so loud, we're sure to find her quickly enough…"

--

And as Joe and Lee begin to enter the dense growth, Milly, Ritusko, and Victor had already left it and were entering a clearing next to a lake. It was actually pretty spot if one were to take the time and look at it. The night sky appeared to be cloud-free and the light of the stars reflected of the lake's waters very nicely, almost like tiny jewels had been cast into its depths. "Here we go," Victor chuckled contently, "I knew it was right over here. So, ready to duel…hey, what was your name again?"

"Oh, oopsie, I forgot. My name's Milly Pegasus."

"The creator's little niece, eh? Cool, but yeah, bring out your duel disk. I'll even give you first turn."

"Alright, let's get started!"

Milly Victor  
4000 4000

Once again, that sweetly defiant look she had while she was dueling Joe appeared again. "Alright, I'll start with this sweety. I summon Candy Warrior - Gumdrop Girl!" A flash of light from a holographic card announced the arrival of Milly's monster. Within moments, what looked like a teenage girl in a Lolita-style purple dress with a ton of frills on it had emerged, slinging a small satchel over her shoulder like a purse.

**Candy Warrior-Gumdrop Girl  
LIGHT**

ATK/DEF: 1000/1000  
Warrior/Effect  
This card inflicts 500 damage to your opponent during the End Phase of your turn. During each of your Standby Phases, place 1 C-Counter on this card. An opponent's monster cannot declare an attack after battle with this card for a number of turns equal to the number of C-Counters on this card.

"And I'll also set 2 facedown cards. Then I'll let you have some fun. But, oops, we can't forget about the Girl's little effect." At this time, Gumdrop Girl reached into her pouch and out purple gumball in the shape of a round bomb. A very mischievous gleam had appeared within the girl's eyes as the bomb's fuse miraculously lit itself, then she hurled it towards Victor. It exploded on contact, taking 500 of his Life Points with it.

Milly Victor  
4000 3500

"Alrighty then," Victor chuckled, "Guess I ought to get rolling. But I think I'll just set this friend of mine and I play a spell: Foolish Burial. And with that, I'll toss Stitched Menagerie to the Graveyard."

**Stitched Menagerie  
DARK**

ATK/DEF: 1200/1000  
Zombie/Effect  
If you Tribute Summon, you may treat this one monster as two Tributes. When this card is in the Graveyard, it is treated as two Zombie-Type monsters.

For a moment, Milly's defiant expression faltered just a tad when she heard Victor say the name of his monster. She only managed to get a very brief look at the card Victor had sent to the Graveyard, but even that was enough send another shiver racing down her spine. "Stitched Menagerie? Never heard of that one. Sounds kinda creepy." She said with a small involuntary shiver.

"Well," Victor laughed, "sometimes creepy can be fun."

"If you say so. Are you done?"

"Not quite yet. I also set face-down monster. Now, I end my turn." Victor announced semi-triumphantly, just as his face-down card materialized onto the field.

"Fine then, I draw, hon. And what a fine draw I get. First my little Gumdrop Girl gets a C-Counter, then I summon Lollipop Lady. She boosts both herself and Gumdrop to 1500 ATK. But I also play Extra Sprinkles, and I add a counter to Lollipop. With that, I end, and you take another 500 damage."

**Candy Warrior - Lollipop Lady  
LIGHT**

ATK/DEF: 1000/1000  
Warrior/Effect  
When this card is face-up on your side of the field, increase the ATK of all "Candy Warrior" monsters by 500 points. During each of your Standby Phases, place 1 C-Counter on this card. An opponent's monster cannot declare an attack after battle with this card for a number of turns equal to the number of "C-Counters" on this card.

Extra Sprinkles  
Normal Spell  
Place 1 "C-Counter" on 1 monster on your side of the field.

Lollipop Lady's entrance was just as cute yet sultry as it was during the duel with Joe. She gave a dramatic twirl of the giant sucker she wielded in battle before slamming the large end on the ground in front of her feet. Following that, she merely leaned forward and rested her hands and chin on top of the small end, then winked flirtatiously at Victor. Meanwhile, Gumdrop Girl was getting ready for another explosive prank. Once again, a gumball in the shape of a round bomb was flung at the dark stranger Victor and it exploded again on contact.

Milly Victor  
4000 3000

"All done already?" Victor commented, "well then, guess I'll get this ball rolling before I lose anymore Life Points. I'll start by flipping over my Cadaver Collector." The sound of creaking old metal filled the night air between the two duelists as Victor's card revealed itself in a flash of dark light. From that light, emerged a truly grotesque creature. It appeared to be a mechanical monster of some sort, like a golem that was hunched over with two eyes that glowed like red coals. Various bits of decay and rot clung to the creature's rusty armor and if holograms could smell, this one would've truly been horrible. But the worst was what else was on the Collector's armor. Bits and pieces of rotting corpses had been impaled on the many iron spikes protruding from the creature's metal plates.

**Cadaver Collector  
DARK**

Machine/Effect  
1400/1800  
FLIP: Search you deck for any 2 Zombie-Type monsters and add them to your Graveyard. You deck is then shuffled.  
  
"Ewww!" Milly gasped, shocked at the monster's appearance, "that thing is so…creepy!"

"As I said," Victor chuckled darkly, "creepy can be fun too. Like this guy for example. His effect lets me toss another Stitched Menagerie and Stitched Juggernaut to the Graveyard. Next I summon Stitched Centaur."  
**  
Stitched Centaur  
DARK**

Zombie  
1900/1500  
  
Right on cue, one of the metal monstrosity's arms reached towards one of the spikes on its armor and removed two very maimed looking corpses. Dark energy swirled from a clawed gauntlet of the creature and surrounded both corpses, which then disappeared to Victor's Graveyard. Victor continued his maligned chuckling as a second of his creature's joined the fray. Again, the ground was ripped open and something emerged, skittering out of the abyss on four spindly pointed legs. A rusted lance was clutched within the talons of a rotting and stitched together hand while a sound like a tortured horse's wail came from the weird centaur's mouth. Or what could've been called its mouth. "And Finally, I play Premature Burial, pulling back Stitched Juggernaut."

**Stitched Juggernaut  
DARK**

Zombie/Effect  
2000/1700  
Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 Zombie-Type monster in your Graveyard to increase the ATK of this card by 300 points. When this card is destroyed, return any cards that were removed from play by this card's effect back to your Graveyard.  
  
Milly Victor  
4000 2200

A faint aura the color of blood appeared around Victor's body as he played the Spell and sacrificed some of his Life Points to do so. But then, the ground quaked and a massive human-like arm shot up from the soil and clenched the ground as it pulled the rest of itself up. Within moments, a huge titan of a zombie had fully pulled itself from its early grave and stared at Milly with hollow eyes. Six of them, actually. A mishappen lump on his shoulder sported two more heads to add to the overall creepiness of the brute while an assortment of stitches were plainly visible all over its massive bulk. In short, it looked exactly as its name lead it to be. A collection of different corpse parts sewn together to form one big and extremely ugly undead creature.

Needless to say, Milly wasn't amused to have to look at such a thing. "Ahh!" Milly gasped as she brought up hand to cover her mouth. "This is too much. I'm stopping you right now! I activate my Trap card! Go, Overindulgence! So by tossing my Sour Soldier, you cannot declare an attack this turn!"  
**  
Overindulgence  
Normal Trap  
Discard 1 "Candy Warrior" from your hand to the Graveyard. Your opponent cannot declare an attack this turn.  
**  
An image of the card Milly had named suddenly materialized onto the field, followed by another image of the valiant warrior of Candy Land, Sour Soldier. But instead of appearing solid, he seemed to look see-through like a ghost. He hovered in front of Milly protectively for a brief moment, and then vanished in a puff of holographic glitter.

"Hmm," Victor observed with a hint of glee. "Very well, I'll set 1 facedown card. I guess I have nothing else to attempt this turn. I'll let you finish up…before I finish you."

"Right, well its time to get rid of those icky things. I'll start by giving both of my monsters another C-Counter."

"You'll need them," Victor commented.

"Hmph," Milly snuffed, "says you. But moving on, I play a spell card: Sweeten the Deal."  
**  
Sweeten the Deal  
Continuous Spell  
Increase the ATK and DEF of all monsters with C-Counters on them by 100 x the number of C-Counters on them.  
**  
"This sweet little gimmick raises both of my monsters to 1700, but that's not enough. Sooo, I bring out another Lollipop Lady. Overall, my first two are at 2200, and this last sweetie is at 2000 herself!"

"Hmm," Victor mused, "this could hurt. That is, if not for the card I set last turn. I activate a Trap card! Torrential Tribute! Say "Bye Bye" to all your monsters."

At that moment, just after a tiny medal-shaped gumball and an energizing light blue aura had appeared on each of Milly's famed Candy Warriors, Victor's Trap card rose from his back row. An explosion of mucky water exploded from the card and swept over every single one of the monsters on the field, dragging them to the dark depths of the Graveyard.

"No!" Milly gasped, "but wait, doesn't that kill all your monsters?"

Victor could only laugh mockingly at Milly before he managed to get a hold of himself again. "So what? It matters little to me or to them. They know their purpose." he replied after wiping an eye with a single finger. "Are you done yet?"

"I…" Milly gasped, looking at her hand, "I…end." There was something about this guy that was really starting to get to her. He looked normal enough, but the way he dueled and sacrificed his monsters so easily was a thing to behold. Plus, she had never heard of these "Stitched" monsters before, and she had seen nearly every card her uncle had ever made. Something wasn't right and she suddenly had sinking feeling about it. Plus, they scared her something fierce, and she didn't scare easy.

"Good," Victor chuckled darkly, "then it's time I end this farce and show you my true might. I start by playing the Spell card: The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber!"  
**  
The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber  
Continuous Spell  
Pay 1000 Life Points. Remove from play Fusion-Material monsters in your Graveyard to Fusion Summon 1 monster to the field from your Fusion Deck.  
**  
Lightning suddenly crackled in the night sky above, followed by a lance of electricity striking a spot mere feet in front of where Victor stood. But when the smoke cleared, there stood what appeared to be horrific machine. Various body parts floated in a glass tank filled with slimey fluids and chemicals while a multitude of wires ran all over the machines surface. It looked like nothing ever made in an earthly laboratory. It was easy to see that Victor was enjoying the look on Milly's face.

"And I'll use its effect twice and fuse all of the zombies in my Graveyard into two new creatures! It'll cost me 2000, but its more than worth it. I'll end this by bringing out two copies of Stitched Minotaur."

**Stitched Minotaur  
DARK**

Zombie/Fusion/Effect  
2500/1400  
The Fusion Material Monsters for this card are any three Zombie-Type monsters in your Graveyard. This card can only be Fusion Summoned by the effect of "The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber". When this card is destroyed, return any monsters that were removed from play to Fusion Summon this card back to your Graveyard. Negate the effects of Effect Monsters this card destroys. When this card battles a Defense Position whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points.  
  
Milly Victor  
4000 200

Again, the blood red aura appeared on Victor's form, but much more boldly this time as his Life Points were nearly completely depleted. But then, that energy the aura had taken from shot towards the vile machine on the field and entered into what looked like a power matrix. Lightning crackled between electrodes while the green fluid suddenly shined with an eerie light. Then, slowly at first, the various bits and pieces of corpses fused together to form into a new and terrifying body. Green mist gushed out as the glass of the chamber slid open, allowing not one, but two of the crazed beasts emerge. Standing up on two legs, they looked twisted undead counterparts of the mythical creature they were derived from. Their bodies were nothing more than bits and pieces of both human and bull parts stitched together. Their heads were actually the top halves of the heads of two bulls stitched together and then sewed on sideways to form a bellowing mouth opened sideways. The ground literally shook with each step the twin zombie minotaurs took, and a single red eye peered hollowly at Milly through the remains of the green mist.

Through it all, Victor only spoke calmly in a deadly even tone. "You see, even when a mad scientist fails with his previous creations, he can always reuse them for a much grander purpose. That is the purpose of the Stitched. Well, that and to destroy you as well." On this unspoken command, both twisted bull creatures gave a short and slurred bellow before lowering their horns at the girl. One then pawed at the dirt with a single misshapen foot while the other was already on the charge. But the second wasn't far behind at all. When it was all said and done, both of Victor's monsters had hit Milly nearly simultaneously and the combined concussive force of the blows knocked her off her feet. She was thrown several paces back as the minotaurs' total of 5000 ATK points crushed her Life Points.

"Milly!" Ritsuko gasped, rushing to her friend's side, "Milly! What's wrong! You!" she snarled, glaring towards Victor.

"Oh dear," Victor commented absently. He lifted up a hand and studied it. "It would seem some…powers…seeped into me. I'm sure she'll be fine. But nevertheless, I have a warning from my master. Go nowhere near the Abandoned Dorm, or the next time the blow won't just knock her out. It will sap the life from her very being," Victor turned to leave, but stopped to call back over his shoulder, "and oh yes. It'd be wise to tell no one of this meeting. Make sure she knows that as well. Ta-ta." With this, Victor waved and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Ritsuko nothing to glare at but the trees.

**Next Chapter: Crunched Candy, Tiger's Roar!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

**--**  
Chapter 5  
**--**

The school was in an uproar when the news broke. Soon you couldn't take one step within the gates of the Academy without hearing of the student that fainted or that supernatural forces were once again at work at Duel Academy. It wasn't the first time that strange and sinister things had happened at Duel Academy, but it was a fact that many tried to keep from spreading, and it certainly hadn't been the subject of rumors in recent past. The faculty tried their best to quiet these rumors, but their efforts did nothing less than fan the flames and provide more fodder for the wagging tongues of gossipers.

After Milly's unconscious form had been carried back to the campus by Ritsuko, she had been immediately admitted to the school's infirmary and kept under a close watch by both school officials and the medical staff. Ritsuko, who was sitting in a chair directly next to Milly's bed, had never left her friend's side for even a moment.

_She must feel responsible for this. Poor thing,_ Ian thought to himself. He and Mitch had dropped by to visit and to see if they could find out exactly what happened to Milly. But neither of them was so callous that they didn't know to give Ritsuko some space first. They had opted to stand near the foot of Milly's bed, if only to make Ritsuko not feel any more uncomfortable than she already was.

"I bet she feels responsible for what happened to Milly," Mitch commented quietly to Ian, echoing the shorter boy's thoughts.

"I was just thinking that," Ian replied wearily, "but it's not. What could she have done? How could she have even _known_?" It wasn't often that Ian showed this much emotion, but when he did it was only when something was bothering quite a bit. The pity he felt for Ritsuko showed plainly within his gaze whenever he looked upon the girl and the way she was looking at Milly. Part of him almost wanted to go over to her and see if he could comfort her. Almost.

"All the same," Mitch countered with a fair amount of firmness in his voice. "She possesses a certain degree of admirable loyalty. It doesn't matter how we look at it logically, she's still going to feel like it's her fault. Nothing we can do about that."

"Yeah, but-" Ian began.

"I should've stopped her," Ritsuko spoke softly, her face looking up suddenly from Milly's face. "I should've made her leave him alone. I shouldn't have even let her leave the grounds to go find that stupid abandoned dorm. And now look at her. It is my fault."

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is." Mitch argued, his brow furrowing in both slight annoyance and concern for Ritsuko all at the same time. "What matters is that we find this Victor guy and we get him to undo whatever he's done to Milly. It's obvious he's the real problem here."

"And that's exactly what I intend to do." an angry feminine voice called out from the door. All three in the room looked up to see another girl with pale and mid-length blonde hair tied back in a ponytail standing in the doorway. She was a little on the shorter side, but so much so that it wasn't really noticeable. If anything, she and Ian were probably about the same height. The only thing more distinguished about her other than the anger she radiated were the eyes that locked onto Ritsuko. While one was a dark blue, the other was a deep shade of green. Although, both of her eyes were looking at Ritsuko with equal amounts of scorn. She wore the uniform of an Obelisk Blue, which probably hinted at her relationship with Milly. People from the same dorm tended to stick together, after all. "Hmph… I should've known better than to let you two go off on your own like that." she said spitefully to Ritsuko.

"But, Amy, I…" Ritsuko stammered.

"You said it yourself. There was more you could've done." cut in the person, who was apparently named Amy. "But now I am going to find this Victor guy and make him pay." The vehemence in her voice was more than a hint of just how angry she was about all of this.

"Hold on a minute," Mitch argued, turning to Amy to fix her with a hard and level-headed glare. "There's nothing she could've done. Not against someone like Victor. And with the way we all know Milly is, I doubt even you could've stopped her from doing whatever she wanted."

But, it seemed Mitch's words had landed on deaf ears. Amy had already stalked about halfway into the room before it seemed she finally noticed that there were other people in the room and turned towards Mitch with a slightly confused and scornful look. "And you are?" she asked flippantly. "Bleh… It doesn't matter. Look, this is just between us. So why don't you and your friend just butt out, huh?"

That just seemed to make the taller boy even more determined to stand up to Amy. His arms crossed defiantly over his chest and his glassed slid down his nose a little bit as he looked down at the blonde girl, his eyes even colder than when he was dueling against Aaron. "I don't really know if I consider Milly or Ritsuko a close friend." Mitch said coldly. "But I won't let you talk that way about Ritsuko who's been sitting here this whole time by Milly's side. She deserves better than that. Especially from someone like you who's "supposedly" also Milly's friend."

A frustrated sigh was torn from Amy's lips as she bent her head down and rubbed her eyes. She was clearly getting even more annoyed than ever and it felt to her that they were all just wasting time. "Look, I don't have time for this." Amy argued again as she looked right back up at Mitch unflinchingly. "I'm going to find this Victor creep and Ritsuko's going to tell me how."

Before Mitch or Ian could argue back, both halted as a little voice quickly objected. "No." Ritsuko answered, all doubt leaving her voice. "I'm going to find him. I stood by before, and I—I'll make him pay for what he did to Milly." Her voice seemed to quiver ever so slightly, but it was not of fear. It was from the sheer determination she was feeling for getting back at the one who put her dear friend into this condition. She wasn't going to fail a second time.

"Gah!" Amy shouted suddenly and threw up her hands. "I don't think so. Thanks for the suggestions, but if he can take out Milly, then you're no match for her. You couldn't even take me on last time we met, so what makes you think you can handle this Victor creep!?"

"I've gotten stronger since then," Ritsuko countered, "And I'll—I'll prove it! I challenge you to a duel! Winner gets to go after Victor and make him pay!"

The room went silent while Amy considered Ritsuko's challenge, hers arms crossed over her chest while she stroked her chin in thought. For a moment, it seemed she was about to just refuse it outright and say it was another waste of time. But, she also knew it was the only way to settle the matter of who was going to avenge Milly once and for all. After considering the challenge, Amy looked up at Ritsuko with a determined stare. "Fine." Amy agreed. "I'll duel you, and I'll beat you. Then Milly will get her justice and this Victor guy will get what's coming to him." With that, Amy turned around and stalked out of the room. As soon as she was out of the room, Ritsuko collapsed back into her chair like she had just gotten the wind knocked out of her.

"What am I going to do? I don't know if I can…" she mumbled, almost too softly to be heard.

"Hey…" Ian spoke while kneeling down to comfort her, "You can, I'm sure you can. And even if you don't, Amy can. She certainly seems…forceful enough to deal with Victor." His tone hinted at calling Amy that was probably bit of an understatement.

"Oh that." Ritsuko scoffed, waving a dismissive hand towards the door Amy had left through. "That's her acting tough. Amy is the kind of person who can be very quiet and patient one day and then be loud and hilarious the next. She's actually very nice, but when she gets mad… Ki-Peeew…" continued Ritsuko while her hands mimicked an explosion towards that last part. "It's just that…this time it's my fault."

Ian couldn't help but blink a bit at Ritsuko's "Ki-Pew!" bit. But his moment of befuddlement quickly passed when he saw the depressed look come back to the girl's face, and he quickly stepped in to do something about it. "No." Ian sternly countered, "This is not your fault. But you are going to fix it and prove that you can. Right? You _can_ handle this." Meanwhile, Ian almost couldn't believe what he was saying. He could already imagine what the little ragdoll spirit Ann would be saying about this. _Good god, I can't believe I'm saying this ABC Family talk bull._ Ian thought to himself with an inner sigh. _But still, she needs to hear it. If she doesn't have faith in herself, she's already lost._

Luckily, Ian's pep talk seemed to have done some good. "You're right," Ritsuko responded, standing back up with an optimistic and determined smile. One could almost see the fire blazing in her eyes now. "I _can_ handle this!"

Ian could only sweatdrop at Ritsuko's sudden display before he brought his hands up and tried to get her attention again. "Right, but first I want you to make sure you're prepared. Victor caught Milly off guard, and I don't want to see that happen to you."

"Right," Ritsuko agreed before rushing off to her room.

When she was out of earshot, Mitch sidestepped next to Ian and crossed his arms, staring at Ian with a look of complete bemusement on his face. "Nice little yarn you spoke there. I couldn't have said it better myself." he chuckled. "Never pegged you of all people to be a softy."

Ian only started at Mitch in irritation before heaving an exasperated sigh. "That girl's almost as bad as my roommate. Both are in serious need of some self-confidence. But what worries me what if she really _does_ have to deal with that Victor guy? You think she can do it?" Ian asked, this time casting a fairly concerned glance through the door both Ritsuko and Amy left through. "Apparently, he's a good duelist, and if Milly's any indication, that's how he intends to take people out. Whoever wins, we'll have to go with them when they go to find him."

"Right," Mitch agreed. "You can count me in on that. I'm not about to sit by while some whacko is running around the island and putting people in the hospital."

Meanwhile, as these two contemplated ways of dealing with Victor, the very same was watching the entire play he had orchestrated through a window near the tree he was crouching in. He had been scouting Duel Academy for some time now, just for this purpose. So far it seemed that this year's crop had some decent duelists, which made his job all the more easier on him. _Like puppets on my strings_, he thought happily. _Everything is unfolding exactly as I had planned._

--

Back in the Duel Arena, things were finally about to get started. Ritsuko and Amy had taken up opposite positions on the duel field and both were looking just as determined as ever. The fear Ritsuko had cast aside was starting to creep its way back into her heart, but this time there was no way she was going to let it win. Too much was on the line. She stared at her opponent with her eyes narrowed, one arm lifting up to activate the Duel Disk strapped to her wrist while her other hand took out her opening hand. _I never thought I'd have to face Amy with such stakes, but I have to. I have to get back at Victor for what he did to Milly._

On the other side, Amy's movements mirrored Ritsuko's and her own Duel Disk came whirring to life. She almost appeared like she was sorry for what she was about to do, but the moment was short lived. Her own eyes narrowed right back at her opponent's when she drew five cards from her deck for her starting hand. The time for things like warmth and understanding was past, and now it was time to get down to business. _I'm sorry,_ Ritsuko. Amy thought to herself and glanced at her drawn cards. "_But you couldn't defend Milly. I know it wasn't your fault, but now you're in my way. If it means getting at that prick, I'll knock you down without a second thought."_ A shudder ran up and down her spine as the words were spoken in her mind. "I hope you're ready!" Amy called out to her opponent. "Because I don't intend to hold back like in our past matches. This time I'm going to come at you with everything I've got."

"I'm not pushover anymore!" Ritusko shot back with no hesitation. "I don't want to, and I might not be able to, but I intend to defeat you with my cards. Then, I'll defeat Victor!" With that, Ritsuko glanced at her own cards that she had drawn and put a single defiant hand on her hip.

"Hmph… As if." Amy grunted flippantly while blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "I'll start this off! Match start! I draw, and now I'll show you the power I intend to crush that creep with!"

Amy Ritsuko  
4000 4000

As soon as the words were spoken, Amy drew her first card with a dramatic flourish before bringing it up to her face. A satisfied smirk crossed the girl's features before she held it out to Ritsuko and placed it on her Duel Disk. "First, I start by paying 1000 Life Points to activate Toon World! It's a hefty cost, but very much worth it." Amy exclaimed. A red aura suddenly surrounded the blonde's form while her Life Points were drained, followed by a flash of light that heralded the appearance of a strange floating book in the back of Amy's field. Sounds straight off of a Saturday morning cartoon show echoed throughout the arena and the book suddenly opened to reveal a pop-up landscape of a town, complete with a clock tower and cemetery.

Amy Ritsuko  
3000 4000

"Then I set one card face-down," Amy continued, just before the card she declared materialized beside the floating Toon World book. "And now I summon-"

However, Amy never got to finish her statement. At that moment, a puff of black smoke suddenly exploded in the middle of the duel field. But the worse part came when the person the smoke was concealing stepped out into the light. Victor, in all his creepy glory. Ritsuko's face suddenly paled while Amy's turned into a seething mask of quiet anger. Her fist clenched so tightly the knuckles turned white. Victor smiled wryly at the two duelists and made a motion like he was tipping his hat to each one of them before speaking, his tone cool and smooth as it was just before he crushed Milly. "This looks like as good a point as any to interrupt you two." Victor chuckled darkly as his hand fell and was stuck into the front pocket of his jacket. "Although I will admit that I can't wait to see how this duel ends up. Friends dueling against friends with these kind of stakes have always entertained me the most. But, alas, I must explain the new rules I'm about to bring in."

Back in the sidelines, Mitch and Ian were gazing wide-eyed at the events unfolding on the duel field. Mitch was the first to come back to his senses, a disgusted frown marring his expression while he gazed coldly at the man between Amy and Ritsuko. "That has to be him. I'm not letting that psycho get away with all the crap he's pulled." Mitch growled, standing up to rush towards the Arena without a second thought. Ian was quick to stand up and follow.

Victor chuckled and shifted to face his new attackers. "Now now, boys, you'll get your turn in time to come." he said with mock-disapproval with his fingers waggling mockingly at them like a parent scolding a child. But upon finishing his last words, he quickly threw up his hands into the air and began chanting something like an incantation. A shimmering ball of darkness appeared in the air directly above the center of the duel field and then dispersed to cover the field in dark energy when Victor brought his hands down. Within a split second, the duel field and its inhabitants appeared completely cut off from the outside world by a curtain of shadow. Mitch, on the other hand, hardly saw that as an obstacle. Just as when he had almost reached the dome, he suddenly leapt up and rammed a single shoulder as hard as he could into the black wall. The only thing he got for his trouble was a surge of crimson lightning sparking all over his body painfully before he was launched back into sidelines. Where he happened to land on Ian.

"Ouch.." Ian commented half-heartedly. "Whatever that is, we're not getting in."

--

Inside of the barrier, Victor chuckled at the sight of Mitch being shot back towards Ian with another one of those creepy smiles he was known for. But his moment of humor didn't last long, and he then returned his gaze back to the two women with him. "And as for you two ladies, I wouldn't even think about moving if I were you."

"Why, you son of a-" Amy snarled indignantly while she made a move to head towards Victor. But she found she couldn't even lift her feet as soon as she had tried, no matter how much effort she put into it. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she kept trying over and over again, only to gasp loudly when she looked down and saw the reason why she was making no progress. There, swirling around her ankles like swampy mists, was a mass of shadow that seemed to absorb all of the light it came into contact with.

Victor couldn't but smile derisively at Amy's discovery. "Yes." he explained. "You both are quite fixed where you stand. But don't worry, this is merely a temporary diversion. More like a prank, in my case." he continued on while he strode up and down the middle of the field, occasionally offering one of the girl a quick but frightening glance. "You see, I don't want any interruptions as I explain the rules of having a duel in my world. Actually, they're quite simple. You see the Life Points you possess now? They are not only indicators of how much time you have left in this match. They also indications of how much time you have left…in this world."

Ritsuko gasped and brought both of her hands up to cover her mouth, her eyes wide in stark terror and visibly shaken by Victor said. Amy didn't look much better at all.

"I warned you, little missy, that there would be consequences if you revealed the events of the other night." Victor sneered to Ritsuko with the same waggling finger he gave to Mitch and Ian. "But like the simple puppets you are, you walked right into my trap." His tone had seemed to turn almost dismissive as he gave each of the girls the once over before he lifted up his nose as if in disgust. "To be honest, I would've rather have had someone stronger than you two, but you will do for now." However, Victor seemed to forget all about his opinion of the two girls and clapped his hands excitedly. Now it was time to get to the fun part. "But I digress, here's the skinny of things. You both will duel. Neither of you can forfeit, nor can you call it a draw. Doing so will result in…an unfortunate outcome." The wicked smile he wore hinted at just what that "outcome" exactly was. "You will duel until one of you is out of Life Points. And as you reduce your opponent's Life Points, you will steal their very strength of being, much like I did to poor ol' Milly not long ago." he chuckled almost nostalgically. "The victor will keep this power, and be able to willing use it when they no doubt come after me. But the loser will not only lose this power, but end up like the aforementioned ward of the hospital." Victor paused in his speech just a little bit so he could let everything he said be absorbed. Most people had some difficulty comprehending games of this kind, anyway. That, and overreacted quite a lot. But even that was sometimes amusing to watch. "But don't worry, as soon as this match is over, the barrier will fail and the victor will be able to escort the loser to the welcoming arms of this academy's fine medical staff. But enough prattle out of me, I'll leave you two here to flesh out our fates. Ta-ta." With that, Victor offered another "tip of his hat" to both of the girls before turning on his heel and heading towards the barrier's swirling blackness. But instead of being halted by it like Mitch and Ian had been, he simply seemed to fade right into it like a ghost walking through a wall. As if things weren't already creepy enough.

Needless to say, the sight of Victor's exit had unnerved both of the girls quite a lot. "He can't be serious." Amy muttered under her breath, staring at the spot where Victor had faded. "What in the world is going on here!?" she shouted angrily with her fists on her hips, turning to Ritsuko with pure exasperation on her face.

"I wish I knew." Ritsuko whispered, reaching down to rest her fingers on her deck. She chanced a glance at her cards and allowed the faintest wisp of a smile to curve the corners of her mouth upwards. It seemed that she'd finally gotten in over her head, and now she or Amy was going to be the one to pay the price. _Kyorre… Please help me_.

"Bleh!" Amy shouted and grumbled when she thought Ritsuko had failed to answer her question. She'd had just about enough of all this supernatural mumbo-jumbo and she was going to get that guy if it was the last thing she ever did! Her gaze darkened when it came to rest on Ritsuko, who appeared to be off in LaLa Land instead of concentrating on the task at hand. "I don't care!" she shouted again. "If I have to, I'll do what it takes to stop that madman! I continue my turn by summoning Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha!  
**  
Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha  
LIGHT**

Machine/Chibi/Effect  
This card is also treated as having "Toon" in its name. This card may attack your opponent's Life Points directly if Toon World is face-up on the field. This card cannot be destroyed by battle as long as Chibi Palace is face-up on the field. Your opponent may not activate Trap Cards during the Battle Phase as long as this card is face-up.  
500/300  
  
As soon as the card was laid on her Duel Disk, another vortex of swirling light came into being on Amy's field and what looked like a small and yellow metal sphere rose through it from the floor. But as soon as the light vanished, the small orb suddenly began to expand and mechanically transform into a small yellow and bee-like robot about three-quarters of Amy's size. In many ways, it looked styled after the robots from cartoons. A pair of small white insect-like wings extended out of its armored back while sparks traveled along a pair of stylized antennae that rose from the front of its head. After completing its transformation, the little automaton struck a daring pose and pointed its little laser pistol at Ritsuko before spinning it along its fingers and sticking it into an imaginary holster at its hip. Amy only smirked at Ritsuko smugly once her monster had finished with its antics and settled down. "Heh, it might not look like much, but this bug-bot has quite a punch. Now go, I want this over with."

"But Amy…" Ritsuko stammered quietly.

"Just go!" Amy shouted, clenching her fist as she shot her gaze to her friend. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but we have to do this to get at that guy, and we have to do it quickly. I know that, and I'm sure that you must realize that."

"But…"

"No buts…just go." The tone in Amy's voice was ice cold, far more so than anything Ritsuko had ever heard her use.

Ritsuko couldn't help but let her shoulder's slump a little bit when she heard Amy's answer. Now she wasn't only worried for Milly's sake. At least, Milly was safe in the infirmary for the time being. But now it seemed Amy was getting in danger, too. But not with Victor. "Fine, I…uh, I draw," Ritsuko breathed quietly, conflicted over how to approach this. If she won, Amy might be seriously hurt. But if she lost, she couldn't do anything for Milly. _No."_ she ordered herself, _we can't fail Milly again._ With that, Ritsuko returned Amy's glare with one of her own and steeled herself. "Alright, I start by summoning Turtle Tiger to the field."

A flash of light similar to the one that ushered in Amy's creature appeared once on Ritsuko's field, followed what looked like a bizarre hybrid creature of a turtle and a saber-toothed tiger leaping out and onto her field. A green tortoise shell covered the tiger's silver fur, and it snarled and snapped its fangs viciously at the little robot across from it. Ritsuko appeared satisfied with her monster and smiled ever so faintly, but with that twinge of worry still there. She then took out another card from her hand and held it up for Amy to see before playing it. "And next I play the field spell: "Tiger Forest"."  
**  
Tiger's Forest  
Field Spell  
Increase the ATK and DEF of all "Tiger" monsters, except "Black Tiger LV10" by 300.  
**  
All of a sudden, the duel field quickly became covered in a rapidly growing expanse of huge trees and grass. The "sky" over head turned blue with only a few clouds, complete with a yellow sun directly above the center of the field. Within a matter of moments, it seemed that both Amy and Ritsuko had been transported directly into the African Jungle. What better place for a tiger to roam free? Ritsuko's creature was definitely appreciating the change of scenery, based on how its Attack Points rose when the spell had completed. "And now I now I have Turtle Tiger destroy Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha! " Ritsuko called out while pointing to Amy's monster. With that, the shelled predator roared loudly and lowered the front half of its body to the ground, then leapt gracefully towards Amy's Bee-Tron, its claws raised to slash it into metal shards.

It looked like it would be the end of Amy's monster, yet she hardly batted an eyelash when Ritsuko ordered the attack. Instead, she looked at her opponent disdainfully and sniffed derisively. "Hmph!" Amy grunted. "I might be hurting a bit, but don't think for a minute I'm going to take this lying down. I activate my Trap Card! Go, Chibi Palace!"  
**  
Chibi Palace  
Continuous Trap  
This card is activated by increasing your opponent's Life Points by 1000. This card is also treated as having "Toon" in its name.  
**

Amy Ritsuko  
3000 5000

Another book materialized next to Toon World the moment Amy called out its name. The second book was very similar to the first, but had some slight differences. For instance, the books binding and covers were a plush red while it was a dark blue on Toon World. Not to mention that a pop-up picture of a majestic white castle complete with a smiley-faced sun in the background was what came out when the book opened. A stark contrast to the dark town held within the pages of Toon World. Amy smiled slightly as her Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha readied to handle Turtle Tiger's onslaught. "And with this, I still take an annoying 800 points of damage, but Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha stays right where he is." With that, Ritsuko's Turtle Tiger came crashing down on Amy's Bee-tron Alpha with a flurry of vicious slashes. The little yellow robot gave a digital sounding cry as its armor was cut apart, followed by an explosion of digital smoke as the two collided again. When all was said and done, Turtle Tiger had retreated back to its own side of the field once the smoke had cleared and Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha was looking like he had never been hit at all. Amy, on the other hand, wasn't quite so lucky.

Amy Ritsuko  
2200 5000

The effects of Victor's new "rules" were instantaneous. A suffocating red miasma formed around Amy as her Life Points were drained one by one. It seemed to squeeze around her entire body and crush it from the inside, making her choke and retch. Then, the miasma quickly left and floated over to since into Ritsuko once it had drained Amy of her Life Points. Her eyes fluttered as the miasma surrounded her body like it did Amy's, but a weird strength seemed to flow into her instead of the choking pain the other girl felt. The end results left both of them struggling not to hit the ground. "Well then…" Amy chuckled a bit as she regained her footing. "That tingled a bit. I guess I'll have to be a bit more careful from now on. It seems at least one of us enjoyed that, however."

"I-," Ritsuko blushed with guilt, "I didn't…"

"Save it." Amy chuckled ruefully. "Because it's going to be my chance to return the favor soon enough. You done?"

"I," Ritsuko fumbled, still trying to apologize. "I end."

"Great, then it's my turn, and I start with the draw." Amy glanced down at here card and smiled. "Good, just the card I wanted. I activate Chibi Battle Formation." She called out before activating her Spell.  
**  
Chibi Battle Formation  
Continuous Spell  
This card is also treated as having "Toon" in its name. Any monster that has "Chibi" in its name is switched to Defense Position during the End Phase of a turn that it has attacked. In addition, increase the ATK of a monster with "Chibi" in its name by 1300 whenever it attacks a monster with higher ATK points than itself.  
**  
The Spell that Amy had declared instantly materialized into view beside her Chibi Palace card. An image of a squad of chibi-style cartoon soldiers was emblazoned on the front, each one of them wielding various weapons and determined to go into battle. Amy smiled when she saw the look on Ritsuko's face when she played it. "But don't think I'll quit there. I also summon my Chibi Priestess."  
**  
Chibi Priestess  
LIGHT**

Spellcaster/Chibi/Effect  
This card is also treated as having "Toon" in its name. This card may attack your opponent's Life Points directly if Toon World is face-up on the field. This card cannot be destroyed by battle as long as Chibi Palace is face-up on the field. As long as this card is face-up on the field, each time you draw a card, you gain 500 Life Points for each card you draw.  
400/600  
  
With that, another of Amy's famed "Chibi Monsters" was brought into being with another flash of light when she played her card. But instead of a transforming mechanical orb, what emerged from the fading vortex was probably one of the cutest monster cards in all of Duel Monsters. A spritely and strangely elf-like priestess that was praying drifted gracefully to the ground when the light vortex finally disappeared. Her hair was blonde and was even brighter than Amy's, and her cleric's uniform was a light scarlet in color. In many ways, it resembled something like what you'd see in one of those fantasy role-playing videogames that were so popular nowadays. When her feet finally touched the ground, the little priestess opened her eyes and smiled warmly at Ritsuko before resting the bottom of her staff upon the ground.

Amy, on the other hand, wasn't smiling quite so warmly. Her smile seemed almost rueful and hollow as she declared her next move. But then, that was hardly surprising given their situation. "And why not? I'll make use of her ability. I now activate 'Chibi Charity'."  
**  
Chibi Charity  
Normal Spell  
Discard 1 monster with "Toon" in its name to draw 2 cards from your Deck. If Toon World is on the field, you don't have to discard a monster. If Chibi Palace is on the field, draw 1 extra card.  
**  
"I have both Toon World and Chibi Palace on my field! So that gets me three more cards, and at no cost to boot! And thanks to my Chibi Priestess, I also gain 1500 Life Points." At that moment, the little priestess on Amy's field smiled more and closed her eyes to begin praying again. An energizing green aura appeared around the head of her staff, right before it condensed into a healing ray and shot towards Amy's heart. Amy could only close her eyes and smile sublimely as her whole body was bathed in a warm and thoroughly relaxing feeling. As her Life Points were restored, so was her physical strength.

Amy Ritsuko  
3700 5000

But when the healing aura faded, it was back to business as usual. Amy smirked confidently as she surveyed the field. Her Life Points were definitely lower than Ritsuko's, but that wasn't all there was to wining a duel. While she still had her Chibi Priestess, Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha, and both Toon World and Chibi Palace, she had held a very clear field advantage. Having Chibi Battle Formation out made it even better. Now she was going to use it.

"Well, I think it's about time I return that favor I mentioned earlier." the blonde girl called out to Ritsuko. "First off, I'll send Chibi Bee-tron Alpha to exact his revenge on your Turtle Tiger. And thanks to my Chibi Battle Formation, he's up to 1800. More than enough to take out Turtle Tiger."

Amy's Bee-Tron had already drawn its laser pistol almost before she had even finished speaking. The jets set into its boots and backpack roared to life with a burst of blue flame, lifting it off the ground and sending it rocketing towards Ritsuko's Turtle Tiger. By then, Bee-Tron had already targeted Turtle Tiger and was already firing a volley of purple laser bolts from his pistol, which then collided with the beast's shell and body. A moment later, Turtle Tiger was destroyed in a shower of space dust and smoke and Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha was coming for a landing on Amy's field.

But then, that wasn't the end of Ritsuko's troubles. The red miasma from before had reappeared, but this time around her instead of Amy. Now it was her turn to experience the choking grip of the life draining aura and she almost cried out as she felt her Life Points leave her body. "This feeling…it's horrible." Ritsuko thought while the miasma left her body. Before she knew it she was on her knees.

Amy Ritsuko  
3700 4500

As the dust settled, she looked up just in time to see Chibi Priestess making her move. The expression she wore had gone from warm and caring to utterly determined to deliver Ritsuko her punishment, and she was rushing at the fallen girl with her holy staff held high over her head. It was then that she heard Amy's voice once more, Ritsuko's gaze widening in fright as she witnessed the impossibly cute cleric coming near. "I'm sorry, Ritsuko." Amy called out. "But, I can't go easy on you. I have to go all out to win." It was the first time Ritsuko had ever heard Amy's voice actually quiver with true regret and remorse during a duel. A moment later, the holy staff of Chibi Priestess had begun to shine with a burning light just as it was brought on Ritsuko's shoulder.

Amy Ritsuko  
3700 4100

"I end my turn after that, and thanks to my spell, both of my monsters get put into Defense Position." With that, both Chibi Priestess and Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha knelt down and got into a defensive stance. The Priestess held her staff before to intercept incoming attacks while the little yellow robot simply crossed his arm out in front of him.

But as Ritsuko was coming back to her feet, albeit a bit shakily, she suddenly had an epiphany of sorts. Amy, despite her tough demeanor at the moment, was in just as much pain about battling her friend as Ritsuko was. The way her voice had shaken a moment ago was proof of that. Knowing Amy, she probably just couldn't risk it getting the better of her though. The thought almost made Ritsuko smile in relief. At least now she was sure that Amy hadn't forgotten about their friendship.

But that still didn't change the way things were going for Ritsuko. Needless to say, she was starting to worry about how things would turn out. _How can I beat this now? I know that she can attack me directly, and after that they'll go to defense! And I can't kill them with that Palace out! Please…_ she thought as she also looked to her deck. _Give me what I need to help Milly._ She closed her eyes as her silent prayer was given, then she drew what would hopefully be the card she needed to turn this around. A faint smile appeared, then slowly grew when she saw what the card was. "Alright… If you won't go easy, then I won't either!" she called out to Amy happily. "I summon Black Tiger LV2."  
**  
Black Tiger LV2  
EARTH**

Beast/Effect  
This monster can attack your opponent's Life Points directly. During your End Phase, if this monster inflicted damage to your opponent's Life Points, you can tribute this card to Special Summon 1 "Black Tiger LV4" from your hand or deck.  
200/ 0  
b  
A small tiger, no more than a kitten, formed out of the card that materialized on Ritsuko's field when it was played. In many ways, it was just as cute as any of Amy's creatures and it seemed to know it. After swaying its tail and crouching down to look even cuter, it mewed playfully and stared at Amy with what had to be the biggest and most soulful eyes the girl had ever seen. And with her kind of deck, she had seen quite a few.

Amy almost wasn't able to stop a loud "AWWW!" from escaping her mouth when she saw the cute little ebony predator. Instead, she merely shook her head and smiled widely at Ritsuko and her choice of cards. "Heh, copycat," Amy commented, a wry smile curving her lips.

"Maybe, but I have to." Ritsuko chuckled back. "I set 2 cards face-down and attack you directly for 500!" The moment the words were spoken, the expression on the cute little black kitten had gone from playful to ferocious, and it gave a small and tiny roar before dashing at Amy at incredible speeds. With a single leap, it brought one tiny claw and slashed the girl across her chest, causing her Life Points to lower even more.

**Amy Ritsuko  
3200 4100**

****

Once again the miasma formed, lifting life force from one duelist to the other. "I'll never get used to that." Amy grumbled just before it seemed she would lose her balance again.

"Me neither." Ritsuko agreed. "And now I end my turn by sending Black Tiger LV2 to the Graveyard to pull out Black Tiger LV4."  
b  
Black Tiger LV4  
EARTH

Beast/Effect  
During your End Phase, if this monster destroyed a monster as a result of battle, you can tribute this card to Special Summon 1 "Black Tiger LV6".  
1500/300  
  
After giving another courageous but still cute roar, a subtle white glow began to form within the very center of the black kitten's body and grew until it had covered its body in a white shell of light. Then, almost like a cocoon, the shell came apart to reveal a fully grown and very ferociously majestic ebony tiger. This time the roar that came blasting from between its mouth was powerful to be heard even outside of the shadowy dome that cut the two duelists off from the rest of the world.

Even though she didn't want to, Amy had to admit that Ritsuko was improving little by little. If this kept up she would become a real threat. In a way, it made Amy happy on the inside to see such growth in Ritsuko and if it were any other time she would be cheering her friend wholeheartedly. But now, there was too much at stake. "Good." Amy started as she drew her card. "Then it's my turn. I start by setting one monster, and switching the other two to Attack Position. And now, I send Bee-tron Alpha to attack Black Tiger LV4, so he gets a boost once more!"

"No!" Ritsuko shouted, "Not this time. I'll chain to that attack and activate my face-down! Mystical Space Typhoon! Since it's a Spell and not a Trap, I can activate despite your little robot's ability! And without that, Chibi Bee-tron Alpha stays at 500."

A larger of image of the Spell Ritsuko had declared appeared on her field, followed by the arrival of a whirling cyclone of wind and energy that came shooting out of the card's center and towards Amy's Chibi Battle Formation. The destructive vortex hit its target dead on, enveloping Amy's Spell in a shell of centrifugal force and destructive power. A moment later, her Spell shattered into holographic dust. It was a move that Amy definitely wasn't expecting and one that would also cost her dearly later on. But for now, it was only about to get worse for her.

While that was happening, Chibi Bee-tron Alpha powered up its jets once more and took off high into the air before zooming right for where Black Tiger LV4 was waiting. Another volley of laser blasts was fired from the daring robot's blaster at Ritsuko's monster, but now they seemed to have little effect against the feline predator. Amy's Bee-Tron was easily swatted away the moment came within range of the Black Tiger's claws and was sent hurtling off-balanced back onto Amy's side of the field.

Amy Ritsuko  
1900 4100

But that wasn't the end of things. Both girls gasped as the miasma formed once more and both quickly fell to the floor as 1300 Life Points was funneled from one duelist to the other. So far, it was the largest hit either one of them had taken during the duel and the pain they were feeling a cruel reminder of the price one paid for declaring a battle.

To Amy, it felt as if she would die. An agonized gasp was torn from her lips as her body curled tightly into a ball of sheer pain, her energy being drained by the red miasma. To Ritsuko, it felt almost as bad. Instead of curling into herself, she laid sprawled out along the ground and felt like her body was about to explode if she took any more energy into herself. Both simply wanted it to end, which the feeling eventually did. Amy was the first to pull herself off the ground, and as she wobbled on one propped up leg, she gasped slowly, "Heh…I guess…. That Victor guy…sure means business."

Ritsuko slowly pulled herself off the floor. "I know. I was there…when he—when he did what he did to Milly. I'm sorry…but I have to…I have to defeat you. I have to be the one to get back at Victor."

"You think…you're the only one affected by this? Milly was my friend too. I can't…stand by and let the one…who hurt her go unpunished. If I can, then I will make him pay."

"No!" Ritsuko argued, finally pulling herself completely off the floor. The look in her eyes was far different than any of the others before it. The slight fear and doubt that had always been a part of her had seemed to have vanished completely, and in its place, was the strength and courage of the tigers in her deck. Looking at her like that was almost awe-inspiring. "I'll make it up to Milly… I couldn't do anything before, but now I'm going stop him before he hurts anyone else. He's already making us do this to each other. I must stop him."

"We'll see." Amy answered with a slight scowl, also pulling herself up to her feet. But as soon as she did, the scowl turned into a warm yet sarcastic looking smile. "Either way, one of us is going to put him through hell for all this."

**Next Chapter: Chibi Direct Strike Team! Battle Brawlers, GO!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 4

**--**  
Chapter 6  
**--**

Amy Ritsuko  
2400 4100

What had begun as a contest for the right to seek revenge for a fallen friend had become so much more and terrible. Instead of the mysterious Victor who was responsible for Milly's condition, the two friends turned enemies, Ritsuko and Amy, now found themselves forced to duel each other for their sake of their own survival. Whoever won this duel would be bestowed with the power of the one they defeated. But, the loser would have their energy ripped away from them and then cast into a dark and dreamless slumber. A draw would only result in both duelists being sent into oblivion. It was a duel where the only way out was to beat the other person, no matter how much it hurt. Something that Amy was beginning to detest more and more with each turn.

"So yeah," Amy called out after steadying herself after the last exchange of energies. The last one had done quite a number on the two of them, yet Amy was showing no signs of backing down just yet. Too much was at stake. With a defiant look in her eye, the blonde swept her arm out at Ritsuko dramatically and spoke once more, but with fire within her voice. "I'm not done quite yet. I'll hit you directly with Chibi Priestess, for starters."

Just as before, a radiant and holy light began to shine from the majestic headpiece of Chibi Priestess's staff, followed by the little cleric rushing past Ritsuko's Black Tiger LV4 and towards Ritsuko with an agility and speed that defied her small stature. Then, after leaping high over the other girl's head and lifting her staff, Amy's Priestess brought the head of her staff down hard on Ritsuko's shoulder once more. The light from the staff almost seemed to sear the other girl where the staff had touched, making the girl cry out in both pain as well defiance. This was something that would not go unnoticed by Amy. Afterwards, Chibi Priestess deftly leapt back to her zone on Amy's side of the field. Only now it seemed to gaze upon Ritsuko almost apologetically, as if sensing the turmoil within both girls' hearts.

Amy Ritsuko  
2400 3700

Unfortunately, they both knew what would come now after that attack. The red miasma rose from the ground beneath their feet like the eerie mists from some forgotten and lonely moor once more and then swiftly enveloped both girls in its weird embrace. As before, the exchange of energies was sickening and disturbing, but nearly as potent as the other times before now. It was a small mercy, but a mercy all the same. After the blood-colored mists retreated back into the shadows, Amy placed a hand on her forehead to keep herself steady before regaining her composure. "Then, I'll jump out of the Battle Phase to set a couple of face-downs in the back row here before ending." She called out just as a pair of cards materialized face-down on her field. After that, there was nothing else for her to do except relinquish her turn.

"Okay, I draw," Ritsuko started. However, she was suddenly startled a bit by Amy's voice while she was looking over her hand and the card she drew. She quickly glanced up at the blonde girl like she was expecting some more of her tough talk from before, although her apprehension soon turned to mild surprise when she heard what Amy had to say.

"I'll give you this much, Ritsuko." Amy began somewhat sheepishly. "You're a lot better than I thought you were. I'm sorry that I was so…rash before. I was just worried about Milly, and..."

"I know," Ritsuko chimed. "And I feel the same way. We have to get at…him…"

Amy could only nod gravely. "Yeah… But it wasn't right that I thought I should have to take out anyone who got in my way. If we do that, we're no better than he is." she replied slowly. Her voice trembled over so slightly and the look on her face, as well as the guilt it held, wasn't hard to see. In a way, it almost seemed like she was close to tears, yet she was fighting back her emotions with everything she had. Nothing would be accomplished like that, and she knew it.

Yet Ritsuko only smiled warmly at her friend and shrugged her shoulders. Sure, this was a tough spot to be in, but none of them really had any choice in the matter. She was just happy to have her friend back, that was all. As she closed her eyes and dipped her head in thought, she let the words she wanted to say flow from her. Anything to ease her friend's pain, if only by a little. "Well, it doesn't matter, now. For the moment, we just have to get out of this match. Which means…"

"Yeah…" Amy answered back, looking down at the floor with sadness in her eyes. "One of us has to lose." The sorrow and guilt within her voice seemed all but suffocating to her at that moment. This was the hardest thing either of the girls had ever had to do, and both of them knew what would happen to the other no matter who won. Yet, all the same, Amy allowed a rueful yet wry smile to grace her lips as she looked up and wiped away a few unshed tears. "But…I don't care anymore whether I win or lose. Whoever wins, we know Victor will get his in the end."

"Right, so bring it on. Show me your best!" Ritsuko smiled back. "One of is going to take down Victor, no matter who it is. There's no reason to hold back now."

"Yeah!" Now show me what you can do!" Amy cheered with a little bit of a fist-pump at the end of her speech. At least now things didn't feel as dark as they were before. Despite how much Amy wanted to win, she knew she could now count on the girl standing on the other side of the duel field.

"Okay." Ritsuko chimed. "I'll give it my all and show you just how much I've improved. I'll start by drawing."

Ritsuko drew her card with vigor, despite the horrid conditions she found herself in. "At least I know that Amy is still…Amy." she thought happily. She was just overreacting, the same as the rest of us. _"I'm so glad that she's back to playing like she used to."_ After glancing at the card she had drawn, she allowed a trace of a smile to widen her lips before continuing. Things were about to get interesting now.

With a triumphant and graceful sweep of her arm, Ritsuko got her turn underway and gestured towards a facedown card on her field. "And now I use my face-down card. Activate: Raigeki Break! I discard this card in my hand to destroy your Chibi Palace!"

As soon as the words were given, Ritsuko's face-down card rose up just as a mass of roiling black clouds began to form in the air directly above the floating story book of Amy's Chibi Palace. The crash of thunder and the flashes of lightning lit up the darkness over the two duelists' heads just before a single large bolt of electricity shot out from the cloud and collided with its target, destroying the book in an explosion of smoke, dust, and holographic paper bits. The blast was strong enough to blow back Amy's hair and make her shield her eyes with one of her arms. But she definitely wouldn't like what she saw when she opened them again.

"No!" Amy exclaimed just as the blast hit. _"This means she can actually kill my Chibis now!"_ Needless to say, now it was her turn to be in a predicament. A bad one at that, too. However, it seemed that her troubles were not over.

Once the Trap had resolved and faded away from her field, Ritsuko took out a single card out of her hand and placed it upon her Duel Disk. The spark in her eye held a confidence that was rarely seen in the girl, and it told that she was up to something now. "And next I summon Tiger Master!" she exclaimed just as her card came into being on her field. A flash briefly lit up Ritsuko's side of the field and a noble shaman clad in tiger skins and carrying a spear of gnarled wood leapt out and landed with a ground-shaking thump. The ruby jewels that were used for the eyes of his tiger-faced helm seemed to burn with a vicious hunger within their sockets as they glared out at Amy's monsters, almost as if they were real. But what really made this newest arrival so intimidating was in how he pounded the bottom of his spear against the ground, striking it over and over with a haunting sound like a war drum's beat.  
**  
Tiger Master**

EARTH  
Spellcaster/Effect  
1500/850  
When this card is sent to the Graveyard outside of battle, return 2 "Tiger" monsters from your Graveyard to your Deck. The Deck is then shuffled.  
  
Ritsuko couldn't help but smile in wonder at the sight of Tiger Master. But the smile soon turned into a determined frown as the girl brought her attention back to her opponent, but especially to what she possessed on her field. Now that she had the upper hand, it was time to make the most of it. Once Tiger Master had settled down on her field, Ritsuko narrowed her eyes at Amy and swept out her arm towards one of her monsters. "And now I'll attack your Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha first with Black Tiger LV4!" she declared with vigor, her fingers directly centered upon the little bee-shaped robot on Amy's field that had been causing her so much trouble earlier. At that moment, Black Tiger turned its gaze upon its intended prey and gave a tremendous roar that shook the air around it, just before lowering its body the ground and then dashing at Amy's Bee-Tron like the true predator it really was. But the machine showed no fear, and it wasn't the only one.

"I figured you'd try something like this," Amy chuckled. "You should've figured that it wouldn't be this easy! I now activate my Trap Card, Negate Attack! I'll stop this Battle Phase this instant!" A translucent barrier appeared just in time to block the swipe of Black Tiger's claws and keep Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha safe. At least the for the time being. The disgruntled growl from Black Tiger could be clearly heard as the regal beast slinked back to Ritsuko's side of the field, an angry hiss given as it sat down and faced the Bee-Tron Alpha. However, the only reaction it got from the little yellow robot was a bit of taunting when it turned its back to Black Tiger and patted its behind at it. One would think it would've also given the beast a raspberry as well. If only the machine had a tongue, that is.

"But…" Ritsuko gasped, realizing she'd been tricked again. _"She's tough, but I already knew that. I have to win, but…I've never beat her before…so, what do I do?"_ Ritsuko wished hard to come up with an answer, but nothing came to her. Amy was one of the top duelists in all of Duel Academy and those Chibi's of her's were a force to be reckoned with despite their cute appearance. Beating them was definitely not proving to be easy. Then again, Ritsuko already knew that. But she also knew that were was only one true way she was going to win this duel. _"I'll just have to rely on you guys then,"_ she smiled while looking to her deck and then grazing a few fingertips across the top of it. She seemed to draw comfort from the touch, all the while lifting her gaze back to Amy with a renewed determination blazing in her eyes. "Don't let me down, friends." she thought to herself. "I set two more cards and end my turn." With that, two cards materialized within her back row and thus concluded her turn.

"That was a nice try," Amy commented while she drew. "But, I'm just about prepared for anything you throw at me. Now watch this. Chibi Priestess' effect now activates." she continued on with a smirk on her lips, just as a revitalizing green glow had begun to shine from the headpiece of Chibi Priestess' staff. It shined brighter and brighter, bathing Amy's body within an aura of life restoring light and even managing to make her body levitate a little bit off the ground. The girl closed her eyes as she felt her life force quickly restored by a small amount, a serene smile appearing on her face. As her Life Points rose a bit higher, the glow slowly receded back into Chibi Priestess' staff and Amy was gently placed back on the ground. With that, the field grew dim once more.

Amy Ritsuko  
2900 3700

Amy exhaled a calm breath once after things had returned to normal and she opened her eyes once more at Ritsuko. The defiance in her eyes from before was still there as she held out her chosen card for Ritsuko to see it. "I now activate the card I drew. I play Toon Table of Contents! It'll get me any card with "Toon" in its name, and since Chibi Palace is treated as if it has "Toon" in its name, I'll grab another one of those!" Another light had begun to shine on the field, but this time it was a softer golden light that came from Amy's deck, and a single card that shined like a miniature star suddenly flew from her deck and right into her hands. Her smile of satisfaction only grew as she set it face-down in the back row of her field.

Ritsuko was beginning to feel like a game board piece that had just landed on the "Go Back to Start" space. _"But that means she'll make her monsters invincible again!"_ Ritsuko gasped inwardly. _"I have to stop her!"_ Thinking quickly, she immediately reached for one of her two face-down cards and activated it. "Fine, but I also activate a card. Go, Spell-Binding Circle! As long as this card is around, your Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha isn't going to be doing any attacking or changing its position, leaving you wide open!" she called out, just as an arcane circle of glyphs and figures appeared right under Chibi Bee-Tron's feet. Eldritch energy suddenly rose up around the little robot's feet and traveled up its body until it was completely covered, leaving it all but totally paralyzed and defenseless. A few shocked gasps escaped through its faceplate as it struggled valiantly against its bonds, but ultimately to no avail.

"Hmph," Amy snuffed, watching as her monster continued to struggle without any success. She couldn't help but feel sorry for it, but she also realized that she didn't have a lot of time to spend dwelling on things like this. The best way to help her monster was to get it out of that circle. The question was how. _"Well, that was unexpected. Now if I play Chibi Palace, she has a hole to batter away at. What am I going to do?" _Amy looked down at the cards she had in play, particularly her set card. _"Well, at least that's in store for her,"_ she thought to herself confidently. _"In fact, I think I know what I'll do. I don't like it, but I have to end this fast and get that creep before he does anymore damage."_ As she continued to debate her options, she looked to her hand and set a single card from it face-down on her Duel Disk. "Alright, for now, I'll set a card face-down and call it good. Your turn." _"Oh! No, I forgot to put Prietess in Defense Position,"_ Amy gasped to herself, realizing her mistake.

_"I'm sure that's Chibi Palace,"_ Ritsuko thought to herself as she drew. _"But what's her other facedown? Maybe it's nothing…maybe she wants me to get rid of Bee-Tron and the hole he makes. Yeah…she's going to do that then use Chibi Palace to save her Priestess, then continue healing herself with its effect."_ In her mind, it made perfect sense. Amy's Life Points were significantly lower than her own, so it would make sense that she would want to save her main source of healing. But even so, Ritsuko knew better than to put all of her faith into that one idea. So far, Amy and her Chibi's were proving to be quite crafty. Who knew what kind of trick the other girl was planning. "All right, my turn! I activate another Spell! This one is called The King's Best Friend! And I equip it to my Tiger Master!" Ritsuko called out while placing her chosen card on her Duel Disk.  
**  
The King's Best Friend  
Equip Spell  
This card can only be equipped to "Tiger Master". Increase the equipped monster's ATK and DEF by 500. When the equipped monster is destroyed, remove this card from play.  
**  
"This card, along with Tiger Forest, knocks Tiger Master up to 2200 ATK, which is surely more than enough to handle Chibi Priestess. Get her!" At that moment, a shadowy outline of a majestic figure that was much larger than Tiger Master suddenly appeared right beside him and placed a confident hand upon his shoulder. At the same time, Tiger Master seemed to grow more and more confident, even courageous as his Attack Points continued to rise. But then, just after he cast a warm glance to the large shadow beside him, Tiger Master gave a terrifying war whoop and twirled his gnarled spear once more, then threw it directly at Chibi Priestess with an astounding amount of power. _"I'll hit Priestess first and then force her use Chibi Palace or lose her Priestess,"_ Ritsuko thought hopefully as she watched Tiger Master's spear drill through the air as it soared right for where the little cleric on Amy's field sat waiting.

However, while it was a worthy move, it seemed that it was doomed to failure. "Hmph." Amy answered as she crossed her arms over her chest "I was hoping to save it for the other guy, but I see no other way to stop you. I activate my face-down! Go, Magic Cylinder! Let's see how you like this!" As the card flashed into play, a strange set of floating barrels appeared between Tiger Master and Chibi Priestess. Then, much to Ritsuko's surprise, Tiger Master's spear entered one barrel and disappeared right into it, only to come shooting out the other one. But this time it was aimed right at her! A pained gasp was torn from her lips as she felt the tip of her own monster's spear slam right into the middle of her chest and push the air right from her lungs. She had to fight to keep her legs steady and not fall over. But then, the spear wasn't the only pain to come.

Amy Ritsuko  
2900 1500

Quite immediately, the blood-colored mist returned and surrounded both players, sapping the very life force from Ritsuko only to displace it into Amy. Both gasped at such a large exchange of energy, but managed to avoid collapsing to the ground. "That is really, really starting to get annoying!" Amy commented heatedly. Sweat beaded her brow and her breathing was heavy, but her will was just as strong as ever. "We have to end this quickly."

"Yeah, you've got that right. So now I attack Priestess again with Black Tiger LV4!" Once again, the predatory glare returned to Black Tiger's red eyes and it's lips curled back into a vicious and hungry snarl. Then, after growling venomously, the beast tensed its muscles and took off dashing at Chibi Priestess like a feline bullet. Lithe muscles flexed and pulsed beneath ebony fur, its jaws opening wider and preparing to snap them down around the little cleric's neck.

This was bad and Amy knew it. The girl growled in disapproval as she watched Black Tiger come nearer and nearer. "I didn't want you to do that either, but then again…" she chuckled to herself. "That just means that you're getting better. I activate the Trap we both know is there, my Chibi Palace. Once again, you gain 1000 Life Points and my Chibi's aren't destroyed in battle."

Just in time, too. A second longer and Black Tiger's fangs would've crunched Chibi Priestess like a bear trap snapping around a twig. Fortunately for the Priestess, the storybook containing the world of the Chibi Palace spiraled into existence and revealed the pop-up kingdom within its pages just in time. The impact of Black Tiger's body managed to stir up a swirling cloud of dust and cause the ground to shake slightly as the attack hit, but ultimately failed. The angered feline was the first to emerge out it, followed by Chibi Priestess who only remained in her defensive stance. However, she also brought up a hand to wipe away a drop of sweat from her brow, a relieved sigh escaping her as she watched Black Tiger return to his spot on Ritsuko's field.

Amy Ritsuko  
1600 2500

Both gasped once more as another large chuck of Life Points was changed, leading to the formation of the miasma. Luckily, the accursed mist disappeared as quickly as it arrived and left both girls mercifully quick. If there actually was such a thing as mercy within his dark place. Gasping as she maintained her footing, Ritsuko looked at Amy through half-lidded and slightly glazed eyes as a weak smile spread across her face. She chuckled softly to herself before then standing straight, although it was a little shaky at best. "I thought I was starting to get used to this, but I think I was wrong." She smiled and chuckled weakly some more to Amy as she regained herself.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Anything else?" Amy responded with a weak chuckle of her own.

"No, I end my turn." Ritsuko answered back, although now the smile she wore was beginning to falter. If she fell for any more tricks like that "Magic Cylinder" from before, she was a goner for sure. _"I have to figure out a way to get rid of all her backfield. Ohhhh… Why didn't I try harder to get that Heavy Storm?"_ she thought to herself, worry making her brow crease as she lightly bit down on the tip of her thumb.

As she drew her next card, the healing aura from Amy's Priestess' staff appeared once more and surrounded the blond girl's frame, just as it had done before all throughout the duel. She felt slightly better with the return of 500 Life Points thanks to her Chibi Priestess', but now she wasn't sure if that was also the miasma, or just her imagination. Whatever the case, she knew it wasn't important and she dismissed the thought with a slight shake of her head. All that mattered to her now was that she beat Ritsuko and get out of this accursed shadow dome before anything else could happen. And if that wasn't possible, then she could at least to hope to prepare the other girl for what would happen later. And pray that Victor didn't get her, too.

Amy Ritsuko  
2100 2500

When the healing aura left, Amy felt even better when she saw the card she had drawn. A very handy card, indeed. "Alright, this ought to solve some problems." she smiled to herself before facing Ritsuko. "I Tribute my Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha to bring out Toon Summoned Skull!" A halo of golden light spread from Chibi Bee-Tron Alpha's feet and rose over his body like a radiant shell, only to quickly vanish completely as miniature thunder clouds began to form over Toon World's storybook. Arcs of blue lightning flashed from the roiling clouds, followed by a loud cacophony of strangely comical evil laughter. All of a sudden, something came shooting out of the clouds and zoomed all over the duel field like a comet wreathed in lightning and murky fog. The laughter from the "comet" persisted right until it curved down and crashed right into the front of Amy's field, a mass of black fog forming lightning flashes lighting up the inside of it. When the concealing fog cleared, a strangely cartoonish demon resembling the real Summoned Skull was revealed, a comically malicious grin revealing a mouthful of dagger-like teeth. It chuckled slightly as it folded its arms and settled onto the field.

"Fortunately for you, he can't attack during the turn he's summoned to the field. Better make this next turn count, Ritsuko." Amy warned with a sly grin spreading over her face, just as Toon Summoned Skull threw back its head to unleash even more comically over-the-top evil laughter. Amy would've thought it was funny if it wasn't for the flash of ambient in the background that came with the laughter. _"Nice touch."_ Amy chuckled wryly as she covered her face with a hand.

"I'll say…" Ritsuko thought to herself, her eyes widening at the sight of this latest arrival on Amy's field. If it hadn't been for that one restriction that crazy demon had regarding attacking on the turn it was summoned, she would've been toast by now. That thought brought a little shiver racing up her spine. _"I dodged the bullet on that one. But how can I stop something like…that? One direct hit and it's game over."_ Right now, that was the million dollar question.

Amy, on the other hand, was feeling pretty good about this recent turn of events. Putting her hand on her hip, she took a moment to admire her Toon monster and its over-the-top evil poses it kept performing before turning back to Ritsuko. "Well, I guess I've nothing else I'm able to do, so put Chibi Priestess into Defense Position and end my turn." she told the other girl. Meanwhile, her new demon friend started making "Ooga Booga" faces at Ritsuko and spooky noises. That particular monster always had been a bit of a ham at times.

"Umm…I draw." Ritsuko stammered, still flustered by the appearance of the cartooned fiend. _"Give me something, pleeaaase….."_ she pleaded to her Deck, closing her eyes and flinching as she drew her next card. Depending on what she got, she knew that this could be the last turn she would ever have. She had to make this count! However, when she opened her eyes again and saw the in her hand, she had to bite her lip just to keep from squealing with joy. _"These two cards will do it!"_ she thought ecstatically. Turning to Amy once more, Ritsuko held out her two chosen cards to Amy and all but slammed them down on her Duel Disk. "First, I equip my Black Tiger LV4 with Beast Fangs, raising him up 300 ATK and DEF. But next, I use my Black Pendant to push him up 500 more!"

Amy could only watch as the field advantage she once held vanish just like that. Her eyes widened and bugged out of her sockets as she watched Black Tiger's grow in strength and ferocity. A pendant with a stone blacker than night appeared hanging from the vicious predator's neck, followed by an aura flowing from the stone and making Black Tiger's body grow in size before vanishing back inside it. Following that, the second card Ritsuko played came into effect. With a sound like bone being twisted, each and every one of the fangs in the beast's mouth grew into oversized porcelain daggers and added that much more to its ferocity and power. Once the Spells had resolved, it threw its head back and unleashed a proud and terrifying roar. It was a sight that made Amy begin to wonder what kind of power Ritsuko really possessed. "But with Tiger Forest, that puts him up to-"

"Yup." Ritsuko interrupted gleefully. "He's up to 2600 ATK, which is quite enough to handle your Toon Summoned Skull. And since he's not one of them Chibi's, he will die! Go get him, Black Tiger!"

Right on command, the newly empowered Black Tiger LV4 lowered its body to the ground and rushed at Toon Summoned Skull with all the speed of a feline bullet. Then, the next thing Amy's cartoon fiend knew, the claws of Ritsuko's beast were raking across its chest and spilling black energy from the wound. Toon Summoned Skull roared in both pain and fury just as explosion rocked the duel field, forcing both girls to shield their eyes from the strong winds and blowing smoke. When the field finally settled, Ritsuko's beast sprang back to her side of the field and settled down with a satisfied growl. For a moment, it almost seemed the tip of one of its fangs was stained with black blood.

Amy Ritsuko  
2000 2500

_"Grrr…"_ Amy thought with a frown. _"With no facedown cards, I guess I was kinda asking for that." _But even with the loss of her Toon Summoned Skull, she still managed to take care of her biggest problem. With that Spell-Binding Circle gone, she didn't have that hole in her defenses anymore. Things weren't as bad as they seemed. But then, that was also before the red miasma appeared once more and surrounded both duelists in its life-exchanging embrace. Luckily it was only a brief appearance since the damage had been so small to Amy's Life Points. "Nice one, Ritsuko, but you'll need more than that to beat me." she said to Ritsuko with a weak yet proud smile curving her lips. She was happy that Ritsuko was finally standing up for herself now, but Amy wasn't about to let up now. It was one thing to defeat Toon Summon Skull, but there were worse cards in this Deck. If Ritsuko really was the one destined to take on Victor, then Amy was going to make her earn that right. However, what Amy saw next made her begin to wonder how hard it would really be for Ritsuko to do just that.

"All right, finally!" Ritsuko gasped gleefully once Black Tiger had returned to her field. "I finally get to upgrade my monster! Black Tiger LV4…. level up!"

Just as when Black Tiger LV2 grew into Black Tiger LV4, the same golden glow formed around Ritsuko's beast once again and grew and grew until it easily dwarfed Tiger Master. Then, the shell suddenly shattered apart to reveal a feline predator even more ferocious and powerful than its previous form. In some ways, this new form resembled more like a prehistoric tiger that was more at home in the Ice Age rather than a steaming jungle. A pair of huge dagger-like teeth jutted out from the beast's upper jaw while powerful muscles flexed and rippled beneath the shining coat of black fur and grey stripes. The writhing tail jutting from its backside lashed the air in anticipation for the hunt, which only added to the new tiger's ferocious demeanor. This was Black Tiger LV6. When the last shreds of the golden shell dissipated from sight, the huge beast craned its neck back and unleashed a tremendous roar even louder and more terrifying than any of the others that came before it. The ground literally trembled at the sound and it almost made Amy lose her balance, but the girl remained steadfast all the same.  
**  
Black Tiger LV6  
EARTH**

Beast/Effect  
2500/1000  
This card is destroyed if it is placed in face-up Defense Position. During your End Phase, if this monster destroyed an opponent's monster as a result of battle, you can Tribute this card to Special Summon 1 "Black Tiger LV8".  
  
Ritsuko was smiling so wide at the sight of her new monster that her face was beginning to hurt. But that wasn't the only thing she was smiling about, either. Her attention turned to Amy once Black Tiger's latest incarnation settled down and grew content with glaring menacingly at the only other monster on Amy's field, her Chibi Priestess. But it wasn't the little cleric that Ritsuko was concerned about at the moment. Her smile broadened some more as a larger holographic image of Black Pendant's card appeared on her side of the field. "And since it has no monster to be equipped to, Black Pendant goes to the Graveyard along with Beast Fangs. But it'll hit you for 500 points of damage as it leaves!" Right then and there, a beam of dark energy shot out from Black Pendant and lanced right into Amy's stomach, hitting her Life Points and ripping a cry of pain from the blonde girl before the card vanished into the Graveyard.

Amy Ritsuko  
1500 2500

As she regained her composure and brushed a few strands of her hair away from her eyes, Amy smiled sarcastically at Ritsuko as she placed her hand on the top of her deck. "Don't get so excited over that stunt, Ritsuko. You may have hurt for 500 points, but I'll gain it right back when I draw my next card thanks to my Priestess. My turn." Amy chuckled, drawing her card and raising her Life Points at the same time. _"As long as I have my 2 continuous cards, she can't touch me, figuratively speaking!"_

Amy Ritsuko  
2000 2500

Looking at her next card, Amy grumbled slightly and furrowed brow slightly. _"Not exactly what I was hoping for, but it'll come in handy with Chibi Priestess' ability. And hopefully get me the card I want in the process."_ At any rate, it was definitely better than nothing at all. "I set 1 monster and end my turn." Amy declared as she placed the card on her Duel Disk, which then caused a holographic facedown card to materialize in her front row. The look in her eye, while not as confident as it was a few turns ago, still held that spark of defiance and trickery from before.

However, Ritsuko couldn't help but blink at such a small move coming from Amy. "That's all? Wow. Well, guess I go." she said more to herself than Amy.

"Don't go getting cocky now. Sometimes a little goes a long way." Amy replied with a knowing smile. If things went her way, then Ritsuko would be finding that for herself firsthand.

However, it seemed that Amy's words were lost on Ritsuko. Immediately after she drew her card, she set her eyes upon her newly transformed Black Tiger and placed a card facedown in her Spell and Trap Zone, which then caused a larger holographic copy of it to appear on her side of the field. However, that was only the beginning of what Ritsuko had in mind. Turning her attention to Amy, the girl gestured to the saber-toothed Black Tiger on her field. "Alright, I set 1 card and attack your facedown monster!"

Once again, Black Tiger LV6 opened its jaws to unleash another mighty roar before it flexed its muscles and charged at Amy's monster. As it lifted a single paw to rake its claws across the card's blank surface, Amy's card suddenly flipped over to reveal a strange creature on the other side, a cackling one-eyed creature that was mostly hidden within an ancient-looking jar. It's cackling laughter still persisted even as Black Tiger LV6 brought its claws down on the strange creature, slicing it to ribbons and digital pixels. The sheer power behind that attack made Amy flinch as another gust of wind from her creature's demise was thrown at her face. But other than that, she wasn't shaken at all. "Hmph, I don't like feeding your effects, but you're helping me too. Looks like you hit my Morphing Jar." Amy smiled. "So we both toss our hands and draw five new cards. And with Chibi Priestess, that's 2500 more Life Points for me." she continued on as she discarded her entire hand and drew a new one.

At the same time, Amy's Chibi Priestess came to feet and lifted her staff over head just as the familiar green healing aura began to shine from it. But this time it was far stronger and far brighter than all the other times it had shown before, so much so that looking at it was like staring into an emerald sun. Ritsuko had to shield her eyes form the intense light while Amy's Life Points skyrocketed off the charts, going higher and higher until she actually had a bit more than what she started the duel with in the first place. When the light finally faded back into Chibi Priestess' staff, Amy was looking and feeling far more rejuvenated than she had been for a long while during this duel, one hand on her hip while she tilted her head at Ritsuko with a benevolent grin on her face.

Amy Ritsuko  
4500 2500

Needless to say, Ritsuko was starting to get a bit irritated with that constant healing power of Amy's Priestess. "Alright." Ritsuko chimed quietly. The loss of her hand didn't bother her as much as one would've thought, but that Life Point boost was definitely something to consider. "All those Life Points now…" she thought as her gaze narrowed on Amy's field. If this kept up, Ritsuko knew that Amy would probably outlast her before she could finish the duel. Especially, if she drew any more of those Chibi cards and attacked her directly with them "Okay… I set two more cards, and then I end my turn." she declared finally, just as another set of face-down cards materialized in her back row. "But not before my Black Tiger levels up once more!" Immediately after the words were spoken, Black Tiger LV6 unleashed another tremendous roar as the all too familiar golden light reappeared once more around its form and caused it to grow even larger. All in all, it's appearance wasn't that different than LV6's saber-toothed form, save for the addition of metal bracers on its front and back legs and a spiked collar around its neck. Other than that, the only noticeable difference was in how its claws and teeth seemed sharper than ever. In fact, even the idle movements of the beast's two front legs were enough to carve jagged claw mark into the grassy ground below. It was easy to imagine what those claws could do to real prey when it was actually trying to attack it.  
**  
Black Tiger LV8  
EARTH**

Beast/Effect  
2800/2500  
This card cannot be Normal Summoned. This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "Black Tiger LV6". During your End Phase, if this monster attacked or was attacked, tribute it to Special Summon 1 "Black Tiger LV10".  
  
Amy could only watch in slight amazement at the spectacle of Black Tiger's most powerful incarnation yet before drawing her card. "Right, I draw again and I gain even more Life Points." Once again, the green glow appeared from the Priestess' staff, but much smaller and less bright than the supernova from before.

Amy Ritsuko  
5000 2500

With that, Amy glanced at her hand and grimaced slightly at what it held. Most of it wasn't particularly useful, but there were two cards that stood out among the rest. That, and she was especially glad to see one of them. "I've been waiting for you, little buddy." Now it was time to get down business and show Ritsuko the true power behind her Chibi's. Glancing up at Ritsuko with a smug expression, Amy removed one particular card from her hand and held it out for Ritsuko to see, as well as to fear. "All right… I'm sorry, Ritsuko. But it's about time I end this duel. I summon Chibi Magician to the field!" she exclaimed just as she placed her favorite card face-up on her duel disk, and then waited for him to make his grand entrance.  
**  
Chibi Magician**

FIRE  
Spellcaster/Chibi/Effect  
800/300  
This card is also treated as having "Toon" in its name. This card may attack your opponent's Life Points directly if "Toon World" is face-up on the field. This card cannot be destroyed by battle if "Chibi Palace" is face-up on the field. When this card is Normal Summoned, draw 2 cards. Increase the ATK of this card by 500 points for each card you draw during your turn until the End Phase.  
  
As soon as the card was played, a pillar of fire suddenly erupted from Amy's field and rose up to pierce through the inky blackness of the shadow dome's "sky". Waves of heat from the fiery tower battered the air around it and made it shimmer as if it were nothing more than a desert mirage, yet Ritsuko knew better than that. After all, this was Amy's favorite card and it certainly had that title for a reason. But then, a black outline of a small figure began to show from within the burning fires of the pillar, only to be revealed when the pillar retreated back into the burning of the depth. What had been seemingly trapped within the flames was actually a small elf-like figure much like Chibi Priestess. But this new Chibi was obviously male, but with blonde hair tied into a messy ponytail, a black top hat, stylish rectangular spectacles, and a cloak resembling bat wings with the ends tied to his wrists. The staff in his hand was fashioned from pure gold and had the figurine of a great winged dragon as a headpiece. When he finally opened his eyes to Ritsuko, he merely offered a strange one-sided smirk and dipped his top hat as if in greeting to her.

Of course, both she and Amy knew he would be doing far more than that soon enough. Amy had crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Chibi Magician make his grand entrance and had a smirk on her face that mirrored his own. "First of all, he'll give me two more cards, and pump himself up 1000 while he's at it! And with Priestess also still hanging around, I also gain 1000 Life Points." she declared, just as the all too familiar green aura shined from Chibi Priestess' staff and bathed her in yet another warm and soothing light.

Amy Ritsuko  
6000 2500

Meanwhile, Ritsuko was beside herself with worry and fright. _"Oh, this is so not good!"_ Ritsuko gasped inwardly. _"That's her key card! She's always beaten anyone she's facing after she pulls him out!"_ She couldn't quite stop her hand from trembling slightly as she remembered all of the other duels she had watched Amy play where she had summoned her favorite monsters. Each of them all seemed to involve handing the opponent a quick and crushing defeat whenever that card was played, not to mention the sheer spectacle that was used when doing it. Ritsuko felt her face begin to pale a little bit.

"By the look of your face, I'm guessing you remember his track record. And now, to make things worse, I also activate Chibi Charity!" the blonde declared just as a holographic copy of the Spell appeared on her field. "With Chibi Priestess, that's another 1500 Life Points and with Chibi Magician that's another 1500 Attack Points, bringing his grand total to 3300! And they're all aimed directly at you!"

"No!!" Ritsuko shouted quickly, her voice actually trembling a little bit now. "I won't let you! I activate my face-down card. Magic Jammer! So I toss a card and negate that Spell!" Right on cue, a holographic copy of Ritsuko's Trap rose up within her back row and fired a beam of purple energy at the floor below where Amy's Chibi Charity card floated. A circle similar to the one on Spell-Binding Circle appeared directly below the Spell, then destroyed with a geyser of arcane energies that enveloped Amy's Spell.

However, Amy was hardly shaken by it at all. "Easy there," Amy laughed, amused at Ritsuko's overreaction. "Well, not much I can do to stop that. But don't think I'll stop with just summoning him. Attack her directly, Chibi Magician! Arcane Flare!"

Now it was time for Chibi Magician to really shine. Both literally and figuratively. The spritely magician launched himself forward, laughing benevolently as he zipped straight between Black Tiger LV8 and Tiger Master to strike Ritsuko directly. Both of her monsters could only look at each other with comically shocked expressions, seeing as they none of them were even close to being able to track or intercept Chibi Magician's path. In fact, the next thing Ritsuko knew, her face was only a few inches away from the magician's youthful face. But this time, she saw no kind smile on his face, but only an expression of cold and calculated determination, one that made his eyes glow a fiery orange behind his spectacles. But then, her eyes widened in both amazement and fear as she watched him rise high into the high and lift his hand over his hand with the palm facing the black sky. That was when she saw the orb of fire growing over his palm, right before he suddenly flung it down at her and set her body aflame. Ritsuko gave a terrified and agonized scream as 1800 points of Direct Damage assaulted her Life Points and brought them perilously low. Thankfully, the fires covering her body were not real and were mercifully extinguished once the magician had returned to Amy's side. Only to be replaced by another kind of pain born from the red miasma.

Amy Ritsuko  
6000 700

Both duelists nearly toppled at the exchange in energy, but they both managed to remain standing until the miasma disappeared. Amy was pretty satisfied with her magician's handiwork and she was beginning to think that her victory was assured. "Still…" Amy pondered as she took out another card in her hand. "I'd better play this spell before she gets a chance to do too much damage to me." Knowing it was better to be safe than sorry, Amy did as her instincts told her to do and held out another Spell card for Ritsuko to see before placing it on her Duel Disk. "And now it's time I did something you're really not going to like. I play the Spell, Hammer Shot and blow up Black Tiger LV8."

"No!" Ritsuko cried out just as a magical wooden mallet materialized above her Black Tiger and came pounding down right on top of its feline head, crushing the beast to nothing but pixels and smoke. The way her monster roared out in both anger and confusion made Ritsuko's heart wrench within her chest.

For a moment, Amy almost felt sorry that Ritsuko had taken it so hard. If this was a normal duel that was fought any other conditions besides this, she would've probably apologized right then and there. But it wasn't a normal duel, and she couldn't afford to play it easy on Ritsuko. Not with these kinds of stakes at risk. "Okay then, I end. It's your turn, Ritsuko. Make it good."

"I-I draw," Ritsuko stammered before reassuring herself. "I still have a chance." she berated herself, her hand clenching into a shaking fist while she shut her eyes tight. "I can win this. I know I can. I just need the right card!" It was then that the girl drew what was to be a very fateful draw, indeed. Looking down at her card, her hopes were assured and smiled widely. _"I really do have a chance!" _Now it was time to show Amy what she was really made of. "All right! First I activate another Raigeki Break, and once again blow up Chibi Palace!" she all but roared out as one of her hands swept out in front of her to signal her Trap's activation. Once again, a larger copy of Raigeki Break flipped face-up on her field and unleashed a single lance of destructive lightning at the storybook containing the world of Chibi Palace.

Amy shielded herself as Chibi Palace once again exploded in a shower of paper shreds and pixels, her hair and Obelisk Blue uniform being blown back in the wind it had created. "Again, that pesky trap!"

Unfortunately for her, Ritsuko wasn't yet done. Far from it, in fact. "And now I play the Spell card! Loss of the Queen!" Right from it was played, it was obvious that something big was going to happen. A vortex of shining light and verdant soil immediately sprung to life where the image of Ritsuko's Spell appeared on her field. The picture the card contained described a scene with a beautiful women clad in a royal gown laying down on a canopied bed of white silk, along with the image of a noble warrior with a sword on his back and a hand covering his face as if in grief.  
**  
Loss of the Queen  
Normal Spell  
Send 2 "Tiger" monsters from your Hand and 1 from the field to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 "Kyorre, King of Tigers" from your Hand, Deck, or Graveyard.  
**  
The wind of the vortex continued to grow and grow, even making Amy's Chibi Magician forced to cover his eyes and hold onto his hate. Chibi Priestess wasn't looking any better as she used her staff to anchor herself down to the ground. Yet, Ritsuko appeared to be largely unaffected by it. In fact, she seemed to be gaining confidence from it. "I sacrifice the one on my field, and then two other tiger monsters from my hand! Now I can summon Kyorre, King of Tigers!" Right on cue, Ritsuko's Tiger Master and the other two tiger monsters from her hand seemed to fade away into balls of light, only to flutter with purpose towards the whirling vortex of intense energies and be drawn into its center. What happened next was simply majestic beyond all words. From the very center of the miniature tornado rose a beast-like titan of a warrior. To anyone not looking carefully, he'd appear to be a normal-looking, although huge, human in remarkable armor. Intricate bracers, boots, a fearful tiger-faced helm, and other assorted pieces of silvery armor shined from all points, and he held a royal broadsword in one hand. The other held a shield with the image of a majestic roaring tiger emblazoned upon it. But then, as he shrugged the sword onto one shoulder and set it into position, one would notice two black stripes on his cheeks and arms, and then the tail sweeping out behind him, swiping from side to side as in anticipation for war. He chuckled as he raised his shield while the vortex vanished, as if knowing it would be lowered soon so that he could charge into battle.  
**  
Kyorre, King of Tigers  
EARTH**

Beast-Warrior/Effect  
This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "Loss of the Queen". If this card is summoned successfully, it cannot be targeted by any other card effects.  
ATK3400/DEF2950  
  
Now it was Amy's turn to marvel at Ritsuko's monster and she was doing just that. Her face mimicked the expression Ritsuko had when Chibi Magician first arrived, her face paling and her hand beginning to tremble. She had never once seen this particular monster, mainly because Ritsuko always seemed to lose before she could bring it out. But now, as it was looming over her like a monolith of fur and metal, she knew right then and there… That she had nothing to worry about if Ritsuko was the one to face Victor. After a moment of getting her wits together, Amy actually smiled genuinely at King of Tigers standing before her now.

Something that did not go unnoticed by Ritsuko. The girl returned Amy's smile as a sense of calming serenity overtook her body, even as she gestured to Amy's Chibi Magician, who was still gawking at her newest monster like a kid in some ways. "Go get them, Kyorre. Attack Chibi Magician."

However, Ritsuko didn't even need to finish her sentence. With a mighty war cry that made even the tremendous roars of Black Tiger LV8 pale in comparison, Kyorre lowered his shield and charged forward with all the speed and raw power of a feline locomotive, bearing down on the small cartoon with incredible haste. The ground trembled as if in terror with each footstep the great King took, only to suddenly grow silent once more as Kyorre lifted his mighty sword over his head and brought it slicing through Chibi Magician, dealing enough damage to Amy's Life Points to cancel out the gain from Morphing Jar. Not only that, but the amount of force behind that sword slash, especially when the tip came crashing down on the earth below, was enough to rip open a jagged fissure where Chibi Magician once stood. With that, Kyorre glanced up at Amy and smirked at her through the tiger-faced helm he wore.

Amy Ritsuko  
3100 700

Both duelists let out a loud cry as the miasma reappeared, dealing more pain than ever as the massive change in Life Points set in. After several minutes of cringing in terrible agony went by, both duelists eventually picked themselves off the floor and managed to stand shakily as the last vestiges of pain faded from their systems. "I guess…" Amy called out with a weary chuckle. "That's what I get for jumping my Life Points so high." Even in the face of such pain, it seemed that both Amy and Ritsuko hadn't lost sight of the true meaning behind this duel. Despite the pain, despite the conditions they fought under, and despite the reason they were here... Nothing was going to tear them apart or their friendship. Not now, not ever.

"Heh heh…" Ritsuko answered after wiping some sweat away from her brow. "Yeah, sorry."

"Don't apologize." Amy countered with a hearty laugh. "My turn?"

"Yup, go ahead."

With that confirmation, Amy chuckled weakly again and placed a few fingers on the top of her deck. "Alright, it's time I finished this then. You gave a good fight, but I have to go on and beat that idiot. So first I draw and gain 500 Life Points." Right on cue, the ability of Amy's Priestess kicked in and restored a small amount of Life Points that Kyorre had stripped from her. It wasn't much, but Amy knew every little bit helped. Especially since she knew that victory belonged to her.

Amy Ritsuko  
3600 700

After glancing at the card she had drawn, the blonde girl smiled a tad wider and placed it face-up on her Duel Disk. "Then I summon Chibi Pet Wolf to the field." she declared, just as a small but noble-looking white wolf sprang onto her field from a flash from of light. In some ways, it was just as cute as the rest of Amy's Chibi's, but in others it was just as ferocious as any of Ritsuko's tigers. It was a strange paradox, but one it pulled off well. A low growl rumbled in the back of the wolf's throat as its large yellow flashed dangerously, the wolf stalking closer to Ritsuko  
though taking care to not go too far unless told to by its mistress.  
**  
Chibi Pet Wolf**

WATER  
Beast/Chibi/Effect  
500/300  
This card is also treated as having "Toon" in its name. This card may attack your opponent's Life Points directly if "Toon World" is face-up on the field. This card cannot be destroyed by battle if "Chibi Palace" is face-up on the field. Increase this card's ATK by 600 points for every other "Chibi" monster on the field. This card may not attack your opponent's Life Points directly if its ATK is over 1700.  
  
Victory was assured, it seemed. At least, it looked that way to Amy. "And with one other Chibi on the field, he's at 1100. Which is more than enough to handle you. Chibi Pet Wolf… Sick 'em, boy!"

With another low but dangerous growl, Chibi Pet Wolf snapped its jaws before charging forward and leapt over the head of Kyorre, who watched in horror as it struck directly at Ritsuko, slamming its body full force into her and sending a cloud of dust into the air. But as the smoke settled, both he and Amy were shocked to see that Ritsuko has survived, and her Life Points were intact.

"How!?" Amy exclaimed.

Ritsuko, although visibly shaken, spoke in a voice that hinted she had figured out how the duel would really end the whole time. "I tossed the last card in my hand." Ritsuko explained, smiling softly at a heartfelt memory. "A gift I had from an encounter I'll always remember. I used Kuriboh, whose special ability let's me discard it to cancel out the Battle Damage from one monster."

Needless to say, Amy was shocked at this latest turn of events. But even so, despite the knowledge of what was waiting for her next, she couldn't help but smile weakly. Her shoulders shook with light laughter as she dipped her face towards the ground, a sad note ringing within her voice. "Heh, you caught me with that one there. Nothing I can do now. I end." she told Ritsuko. _"Now what do I do? She caught me completely off-guard with that little thing! Heh… So this is how it's going to end…"_

Ritsuko knew what she had to do now. "Alright, I draw! And summon Turtle Tiger to the field. It's over, Amy. I've finally won!" Ritsuko shouted triumphantly and shot a hand forward, sending Turtle Tiger to get rid of Chibi Priestess and Kyorre to attack Amy directly. Chibi Priestess was smashed to bits by the leaping assault of Turtle Tiger, a shrill and frightened cry given from the little cleric as it watched the shelled beast's claws come down at her. Kyorre, on the other hand, merely lowered his shield and charged at Amy before stabbing his sword at her body. Amy cried out once more, this time in fear, shock, and pain as the last of her Life Points were shattered by the King of Tiger's sword.

Amy Ritsuko  
0 700

Ritsuko knew what was coming next and she shut her eyes to brace herself against the burst of pain that always came with the embrace of the red miasma. Knowing how bad the last one was, this was going be quite a doozy. Yet, nothing happened. No pain, no red miasma, no nothing. It was then that she began to wonder what was going to happen and she opened one eye cautiously to check things out. Only to gasp in both despair and terror as she watched Amy fall to the ground like a ragdoll. Ritsuko didn't even notice the horrified scream that was ripped from her lips, nor the holograms of the field fading away back into nothingness. All she could see was her friend in trouble, and so she rushed over to her as fast as her legs could carry her. When she got there, she collapsed onto her knees and pulled Amy's blonde head into her lap, one hand stroking her hair while her voice quaked terribly. "I'm sorry…" she stammered quickly. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Amy barely had the strength to open her eyes halfway and look at Ritsuko with a tiny smile gracing her lips. "Hey, don't worry." Amy replied slowly, "At least I…know you can hold your own against…that creep. I'm…. proud of you, Ritsuko. Make sure…he pays…for this." Amy whispered, just before the last of her energy disappeared and she fell into a death-like sleep. The hand that was gripping Ritsuko's fell away to the ground below.

"I will…" Ritsuko promised silently as both the barrier and her tears started to fall. "I will."

**Next Chapter: And to the Victor goes...?**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 4

**--**  
Chapter 7  
**--**

While Ritsuko was coping with the terrible aftermath of her victory against Amy, frightened onlookers could only stare at the black dome that hid the two girls within a shroud of solid darkness. Ian and Mitch were no different. Out of everyone present in the Duel Arena, they alone dared to venture the closet towards the enshrouded Duel Field, their expressions mirroring each other's worry and uneasiness. While they could see nothing through the dome's surface, they were able to faintly hear the sounds of the duel taking place inside. Needless to say, it didn't fill the two boys with much confidence.

"They've been in there a while," Mitch deadpanned. "What do you think is happening? You think Victor is doing to them what he did to Milly?" The questions seem to hang in the air and haunt them. As much as Ian wanted to, he knew he couldn't answer those questions. Not right now, anyway. The only response he gave to Mitch was a half-hearted grunt and a shrug of his shoulders. This was one thing he hadn't foreseen when he chose to come to Duel Academy. Homework, snide teachers, and practice duels was one thing. But, battling the supernatural was quite another. He was about to offer a sarcastic comment about that when he noticed something strange happening to the dome.

One by one, a myriad of cracks began to spread all over the structure's surface, each one of them shining with a white light like an egg about to hatch. But then, the entire thing suddenly shattered into a million black pieces that evaporated into nothingness before touching the ground. Both of the boys lifted their arms to their faces to shield themselves from the dark shrapnel, before rushing onto the Duel Field, their faces relieved yet also grim. They could only think of one reason why the dome would suddenly disappear like that and neither of them liked to think about it. As soon as they neared the two girls, Ian knelt by Amy's side, who had her head cradled in Ritsuko's lap, and deftly placed two fingers on her neck to check for a pulse. Like Milly, it was there but definitely faint. "Yep." Ian noted grimly. "She's comatose, isn't she? Just like all the others he…"

"Yes. " Ritsuko mumbled, sharply cutting off Ian before he could say anymore. "She… She…" The way her voice was trembling hinted at magnitude of the ordeal both her and Amy had gone through. She was trying so hard, but she just couldn't stop her voice shaking or her body trembling. "_No, we can't give in now!"_ the girl thought while mustering the last of her steely resolve. _"We have to say strong… We promised we would."_ The thought passed through Ritsuko's head so suddenly, she almost missed. Just the fact that it sounded so odd, not really the way she normally…thought. But the thought was right. It was then that the girl finally stopped quaking where she knelt and gently placed Amy's head on the floor. Her eyes burned with a fiery resolve that others had others had never seen them, one that was both inspiring and yet disconcerting at the same time. "I have to go after Victor." she said firmly before standing up to leave, her fists clenched at her sides.

Mitch, who had been standing near Ian with his arms folded in front of him, could only regard Ritsuko curiously. Granted, he hadn't known the girl long, but he knew a shy one when he saw it. The way she was acting now was completely different from the way she used to. She had confidence and a lot more determination. But even so, Mitch wasn't sure if he liked this change yet. Stuff like this often leads to trouble. His brow furrowed at the girl in warning before he spoke. "Don't be reckless. You shouldn't go alone." Mitch warned. "That's how he's been getting his victims. One by one and all of them going off half-cocked."

But Ritsuko only looked at him as if he hadn't said anything at all. "No, he won't get me. I won't let him." And just like that, before either Mitch or anyone else could stop her, Ritsuko was off and running through the main doors and into who knew what else.

An irritated growl passed through the older boy's lips as he watched her leave. "Damn it! Doesn't anyone listen to reason around here!?" he growled again before moving to follow after her.

Ian, on the other hand, was trying his darndest to hoist the unconscious Amy from the floor and loop an arm around his shoulder. Although, he wasn't having much success being as scrawny as he was. "Hey, hold on!" Ian shouted at Mitch before he could move too far. "Someone's got to get Amy to the infirmary. I can't carry her by myself, you bozo!"

Hearing the retort from Ian, Mitch turned around and blinked at the sight of Ian trying to hoist someone else over his shoulder. If the situation wasn't so bizarre, Mitch would've probably chuckled. But at the moment, the best he could manage was a half-smug smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. "Yeah, I suppose. A shrimp like you isn't gonna get her there. I'll take her. You go after Ritsuko and try to prevent this mess from getting any bigger."

"I don't know what good it'll do." Ian argued after handing the taller boy Amy and taking a welcome puff of air. "But I'll think about it."

"There's nothing to think about. Strength in numbers. That's all that needs to be said."

"Not if I'm just gonna stand around uselessly." Before waiting for Mitch's response, Ian took off running through the same doors Ritsuko had left through as fast as his legs could carry him.

Mitch only sighed, shook his head, and hoisted Amy onto his back piggyback style. "And I thought that Aaron guy had issues…" With that, he and Amy were headed for the infirmary as quickly and quietly as he could carry her.

**--**

Meanwhile, Victor was keeping himself hidden in the shadows of the bleachers, the only part of him visible being the light reflecting off his rounded spectacles. He stroked his chin as if he were weighing his options carefully, but the large grin on his face revealed just how much fun he was having with this little game. "_Hmm, not who I had expected to win. But never-the-less… This should still get me what I want." _The man's grin grew wider when he thought about everything else he still had in store. But there would be plenty of time for that. _"Can't rush genius after all."_

Knowing that, Victor turned to leave and was certain he would know where to intercept the wayward Ritsuko. The hand stroking his chin made its way into the front pocket of his black long coat while he quietly whistled a jolly little tune. But as made his move, a sole and very diminutive figure stepped in his way. "Well well… And what might we have here?" the man inquired as he leaned forward to get a better look at the mysterious figure. As he did so, his other hand rose up to fiddle with the side of his glasses before a bemused expression came over his face. "I certainly wasn't expecting to find one of _your_ kind this quickly."

Ann just crossed her arms and glared.

**--**

At that moment, Ian was confronting his own demons, mainly his self- doubt. "_I still don't see what I could do,_." Ian deadpanned to himself. "_This Victor guy is too much. He's just overwhelming. He's taken down so many duelist and we still have no clue what he's planning."_ Ian hadn't felt this hopeless since he had first started to learn about Duel Monsters and was dueling his first tough opponent. But even, that guy had nothing over Victor.

He wandered about the halls for several minutes, grumbling to himself about the situation. Surprisingly, he found himself at the edge of campus, facing the very forests where Ritsuko and Milly first met Victor. "_That's probably where she's gone. It's where I'd go."_ The scene of the crime, as it was. Still, Ian was hesitant to head out along the path. He still remembered his brief encounter with Victor before. That and the frightful presence the person exuded. Ian couldn't quite stifle a shiver from racing up his spine. "_There's just something…unnatural about that guy. Besides the fact that he's putting people in comas, and making impenetrable barriers…I mean, what are we supposed to do against a guy like that?"_

"Who are trying to fool?" came a sudden and very familiarly irritated voice from behind.

"Nyah? Ann?!" Ian gasped, whirling around only to find his little duel spirit glaring at him with her stubby arms crossed in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"That's not important. The big question is what are _you_ doing here? You should be out helping Ritsuko with Victor." she replied irritably, much like how an older sister would chastise a younger sibling. Although, in this case, it was a pretty bizarre comparison.

Ian couldn't stop himself from hanging his head a little at the question. Truth be told, he didn't really know why he was out here in the first place. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was pretty pointless to just stand around while Ritsuko dueled against that monster Victor. But, he just couldn't think of anything else he could do. Nothing at all. Lifting his face towards Ann, Ian gave a half-hearted shrug. "What could I do, though? Me being there seems pretty pointless if I can't be useful."

For a moment, it looked like Ann was about to snap at the boy. The way her ragdoll body trembled, one would think she was clenching her nonexistent fists as tight as she could. "Grrr… It doesn't matter! You just need to go!" She shouted the last word with emphasis, taking a determined stance. "You need to go and face Victor."

Ian was startled by her attitude. "_She's never gotten this angry. She gets upset, but why is she so adamant about facing that guy?"_ The words echoed within Ian's mind as he knelt down in front of the little duel spirit. "Ann, what's up? Why are you so-"

However, Ann cut him before he could say another word. "I…I just want you to take care of this guy. I know you can. Just…just trust me." The last part came out almost like a sigh, as if it was tiring for Ann to continue. "I know you have it in you to face down Victor. Besides, you'll have us with you. We'll help you."

"Still…" Ian hesitated.

"JUST GO!" Ann shouted. "There isn't time! Ritsuko and Victor are already dueling, so you need to go NOW!"

Well, that certainly got his attention. So much so that Ian just about fell onto his butt in surprise. "Alright!" Ian gasped before standing up and running off into the forest. The only thing he could do now was find as friend, and with that, his foe.

**--  
**  
Turns out, the path was more confusing than Ian had originally thought, and it took him much longer than anticipated. "_If I keep going like this, they'll be done and gone by the time I get there."_ he thought as he stumbled over some stray branches. "_Still… Maybe that's a good thing."_ But then, either by fortune or sheer rotten luck, Ian stumbled into a wide clearing in the middle of the forest. He could also that Ritsuko and Victor had already their duel, and from the looks of things, it was pretty intense. Too bad he was too late to do anything about it. As the saying went, Victor held the cards and they were all in his favor.

"Now, my minion…" the bespectacled man began with a dismissive wave of his hand at Ritsuko. "Crush her Life Points so we can end this farce of a duel." With that, another one of Victor's zombified and stitched-together monsters gave a tremendous roar before it went stampeding straight for where the girl stood. The Turtle Tiger that stood in its way never stood a chance and was crushed by the stampeding monstrosity, which then lifted a single massive and twisted limb and sent it crashing right into Ritsuko's small form. The force of the blow was so fast and hard it sent Ritsuko flying back through the air, a tortured scream ripping itself from her lips until she landed harshly right at Ian's feet.

"Ritsuko!" Ian gasped, immediately falling to his knees to gather the girl close to him. "Are you…"

"Ian?" she managed to croak out, a look of surprise mixed with the obvious pain she was feeling. "I said that I…"

"And it looks like you were wrong." he replied dryly. "But don't worry. I'm ending this now." At that moment, all of the anxiety and worry welling within Ian felt like it had quickly evaporated from being. Seeing someone treated like this, treated like this by _Victor_, seemed to awaken something deep within the boy that he normally never felt. Determination blazed in his eyes as he looked up at the one who had done this to Ritsuko, even as he was gently placing the girl's head back on the ground so that she may finally rest.

"Watch out." Ritsuko croaked again. "I thought I knew what to expect, but…he's just so…there's just…he's scary." Unfortunately, saying those last few words took up the last remaining traces of energy she had. She tried to keep her eyes open. She really did. But in the end, the best she could do was watch Ian stride towards Victor through heavy eyes that slowly closed. And then… All she knew was darkness and silence.

"As if I didn't know that already." Ian whispered to himself as he mulled over the girl's final words. There was no doubt in his mind that Victor was everything Ian thought he was, and probably more. But even so… Well, as the saying went, people can only be pushed too far. Whatever doubts he had were gone now. He'd seen too many people fall to this guy. He knew what needed to be done. "_I know you're powerful, Victor, but it doesn't matter. I have to stop you."_

Meanwhile, Victor was watching the drama unfolding before him with a bemused grin. Oh, he'd seen this type of thing so many times before. The "hero" arrives just in time to vanquish "Evil". Well, only time would tell if the short kid he saw now would live up to that valorous title. As he gathered his cards from his Duel Disk and shuffled them into his desk, Victor lifted a hand to his mouth to stifle a bored yawn. "Well, took you long enough." He said to Ian towards the end of the yawn. "I was beginning to think you'd chickened out. Ann took longer than expected to persuade you."

That caught Ian's attention. Ian could already feel his eyes go wide at the mention of his duel spirit's name. "Ann?" he asked in disbelief, one hand reaching into his belt case to feel for his deck. Normally, the feel of his fingers running of the cards' edges was a soothing feeling for him, but now it only made his worry grow bigger. Something wasn't right here. _Really_ not right. "_Is that why she was so adamant about me coming here? But then… She did it because he wanted to?" _Now, this did more than just confuse the heck out of Ian. It also pissed him off. "Ann, what's the meaning of this?" he growled, more at Victor than at the little duel spirit.

Her voice echoed to him from inside the deck slot and was sounding just as proud and defiant as ever. "I won't explain myself. Just know that you have to duel him. It's the only way things can start to get better."

"Hmph," Ian grumbled. "Soon as this is over you and I are going to have a _little talk. _But until then, I'm going to fix this guy once and for all."

At the same time, Victor couldn't help but begin to laugh merrily at what he was seeing. Seeing Ian and Ann bicker back and forth was like watching an old married couple, but a hundred times more funny. In fact, it was so funny that he couldn't but place a hand on his forehead and crane his neck back until he seemed to be laughing at the clouds. "I can't believe this." he said in between laughs. "A duelist and his spirit bickering like you two. Now I've seen everything." After that, the hand fell away from the strange man's face as the last of his laughter finally died, and he turned his gaze away from the sky to look at Ian. The way he looked at Ian was like the way a wolf would look at an injured deer, an easy kill and lots of sustenance. "Now then…if you two are done arguing…let's get started." Victor continued, his arm already reaching towards his deck to draw his opening hand. "I've been meaning to get around to you in particular, but I needed to…test…some others first."

"Test! Is that what you call this?!" Ian exploded. "You've been putting people in_ comas_!"

"What's your point?" Victor retorted with a snide shrug of his shoulders. "Bad things usually happen when you fail a test. Hasn't school taught you that? It's a basic fundamental of education." With that, Victor nonchalantly turned sideways and stretched his arms over his head like someone trying to shake boredom. Yet, the predatory look in his eyes flickered back to Ian as soon as he was done. "Now are you prepared?" he challenged as he brought up his duel disk, his lenses of his glasses shining ominously in the shadows from where he stood.

"You're going down!" Ian shouted, raising his own duel disk in response.

Ian Victor  
4000 4000

Victor could only smile at the boy's enthusiasm. "Very well. But since I've waited so long for you to get here, I'll take the lead." He smirked dismissively at Ian. Then, after checking his cards, he selected a few and promptly them set upon his twisted-looking duel disk, which then caused three large holographic copies to materialize onto his field. This was the first time Ian had really gotten a look at it. While it certainly had no fleshy parts to obviously reflect the nature of the deck which inhabited it, it certainly provided a good home none-the-less. The shape was much angular than any normal duel disk, with sharp corners reflecting a Spartan craftsmanship. Several nodes and wires that would otherwise have been concealed under excess casing stood out from the case, glowing in sequence as it processed information.

"I set one monster and two face-down cards, and then I'll call it a turn." One would've thought he had already won based on the smug look he wore.

Needless to say, it didn't do anything to improve Ian's mood. "Alright, my turn. I draw," Ian called out as he drew his card and looked at it. "I'll also set one monster. But then I activate the Spell Card: Thrown Away!"  
_  
_**Thrown Away  
Normal Spell  
Discard 2 "Forgotten Toy" monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard.  
**  
At that moment, a larger copy of the spell Ian had played materialized in the air hovering in Ian's Spell and Trap Zone, only to suddenly disintegrate and reform into what looked look an old and very worn toy chest. Most of the paint that once decorated it had long been since chipped away by time and dust, leaving only a wooden coffin for toys in its place. But then, almost as if it were possessed, the lid suddenly flew open with a loud creak of its rusty hinges and strange childish laughter began to quietly rise up from within. "This'll let me toss my Forgotten Toy - Puppet and Forgotten Toy - Soldier to the Graveyard." the boy declared with a sweep of his arm at Victor. As soon as the words were given, two quick shadows crawled out from the chest and leapt into the air before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Ian watched the Spell unfold with a satisfied smirk before watching the chest fade from existence. "My next step is to discard my Forgotten Toy - Reaper to the Graveyard by his own effect. He'll be coming back with a friend during my next Standby Phase." Right on cue, as soon as Ian discarded the card, the image of miniature wind-up grim reaper materialized briefly in front of Ian before it also vanished in a puff of smoke just like its two comrades. "I'll end my turn by placing a face-down card."  
_  
_**Forgotten Toy – Reaper  
DARK**

Zombie/Spirit  
This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card returns to the owner's hand during the End Phase of the turn that this card was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up. This card can attack your opponent directly. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1000/1000  
  
As soon as the card was played, Victor regarded Ian with a hint of curiosity mixed in with his ever-present smug attitude. It seemed that Ian hadn't conducted his turn in a way that Victor had been expecting, much to the bespectacled man's mild surprise. But even, he also knew it would do very little to change the outcome of this duel. The outcome where he wins, of course. Victor _J_smiled at that before placing his hand on top of his deck, his eyes carefully scanning Ian's field with all the skill and thoroughness of a surgeon. "Heh, you're being careful." he commented as he drew. "The sign of a coward. But at any rate, it's my turn. I start by flipping over my face-down monster. My Cadaver Collector. Let's see who can fill up our graveyards faster, hm?"  
**  
Cadaver Collector  
DARK**

Machine/Effect  
FLIP: Search your Deck for any 2 Zombie-type monsters and send them to your Graveyard. Shuffle your Deck afterwards.  
1000/1300

Just as it had been done with poor Milly, the sound of creaking and rusted metal shattered the relative silence permeating Victor's and Ian's chosen dueling ground when the card was flipped over. A flash of eldritch light burst from the card soon after, followed by the appearance of Victor's all too familiar Cadaver Collector. Just as before, it appeared as a mechanical monster, like a golem, but covered in bits and pieces of rusted brown armor and dozens of long spikes jutting out from its hunched back and shoulders, pieces of rotten corpses impaled on them and some of them even still writhing. Two red eyes burned in the sunken holes of its eye-sockets that stared at Ian with a kind of hollow rage. It was a sight that chilled the niece of Pegasus to the very soul, yet Victor looked upon it like it was nothing more than a favorite pet. Or a tool. "It works like your own "Thrown Away" Spell Card, but this allows me to send any two of my Zombie-type monsters in my deck to the Graveyard. And for that… I choose to send both of my Stitched Menageries!"

**Stitched Menagerie  
DARK**

Zombie/Effect  
This monster counts as 2 Tributes for the purpose of Tribute Summoning a Zombie-type monster. It is also treated as 2 Zombie-type monsters while it is in the Graveyard.  
1200/1000

With a shriek of its rusted limbs, Victor's Cadaver Collected lifted its arms and reached towards a pair of corpses still writhing on the spikes of its shoulders. But, once Ian got a closer look at them, he would find out they were from normal corpses. Instead, what the twisted construct now held in its two creaking hands were nothing more than a set of two jumbled collections of random human limbs stitched to a headless and still quivering torso. It was the kind of thing one would've probably found in a game of Silent Hill, but terrifyingly real. But then, each of the Stitched Menageries suddenly ceased to squirm in the Collector's clawed grip, then just as suddenly vanished in a burst of dark light as they sent to the Graveyard. "I also use my Spell Card: Foolish Burial, which lets me select one more of my monsters from my deck and send it to the Graveyard. I select Stitched Centaur." What followed was the brief appearance of yet another of Victor's twisted Stitched creations.  
_  
_**Stitched Centaur  
DARK**

Zombie  
1900/1500

The Stitched Centaur, a grotesquely bizarre counterfeit of the ancient Greek myth. A patchwork of exposed muscle, skin, and horse flesh made up the creature's torso while four spindly pointed legs made up the lower half. A rusted lance was clutched within its grip, while a sound like a tortured horse's wail filled the air as it craned its elongated head back.

But even then, it seemed that Victor still wasn't done. As he drew one last card away from his hand, he pointed at the lone Cadaver Collector occupying his side of the field, his glasses gleaming triumphantly for what he was about to do. "Now I Tribute my Cadaver Collector to summon my Stitched Juggernaut!"  
_  
_**Stitched Juggernaut  
DARK**

Zombie/Effect  
Once per turn, you may remove 1 Zombie-type monster form your Graveyard to increase the ATK of this card by 300 points. Return any monsters that were removed from play by this effect to your Graveyard when this card is destroyed.  
2000/1700  
  
As if on command, the rusted golem on Victor's field suddenly came apart and fell to the ground in a pile of rusted junk before fading away like a ghost. But then, the ground where the Cadaver Collector had once stood began to shake and tremble as if the forest itself had become afraid, and a single monstrous and twisted hand jutted from the ground and gripped it to pull the rest of itself back up. Standing there now was the rotting hulk known only as the Stitched Juggernaut, another one of Victor's all too familiar sights. A misshapen giant carcass with an arm twice as large as the other and an extra set of two blinking heads attached to the lump of its shoulder. A thunderous roar blasted out from all three of its mouths, just before it set its larger fist upon the ground and got into a stance like it was about to charge.

Which is exactly what Victor had in mind. "Now! Stitched Juggernaut! Smash his face-down and send it to the Grave!" Victor shouted triumphantly. All that was left for the undead behemoth to do was carry out its master's order. Without a second thought, it charged forward and brought its giant fist up over Ian's single face-down monster and brought it crashing down upon it. An explosion of earthen dust and holographic smoke erupted from the spot where the two monsters clashed, but the end result wasn't what either Victor or his monster were expecting. When the smoke and dust cleared, a raggedy stuffed toy snake would be seen squirming beneath the Juggernaut's larger fist, but not in pain. In moments, the binding that kept the serpentine toy together split down the middle and the two resulting halves emerged out from underneath the rotting fist of the Juggernaut completely unharmed. "Hmph," Ian chuckled, "you killed my Serpent, but it's not a big deal. He's all set to take whatever you throw at him and stick around. Granted, he won't be in one piece. Not yet, anyway."  
_  
_**Forgotten Toy - Serpent  
EARTH**

Reptile/Effect  
If this monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, Special Summon 2 "Serpent Part Tokens" (Reptile-type/Earth/2 star/500 ATK/500 DEF). By Tributing 2 "Serpent Part Tokens" during your Standby Phase, you can Special Summon this monster form the Graveyard. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1000/1000  
_**  
**_Yet, the only thing Victor did was roll his eyes at Ian and lift his hand to cover yet another yawn. "You're stalling again." he said with a "Tsk" trailing his words. He even had the audacity to waggle a finger at Ian's tactics. But there was little point in dwelling on such a small thing. After checking his hand and deciding there was nothing more he could do, he simply glanced at Ian out of the corner of his eye and shrugged. "Oh well, I end my turn."

Ian was starting to get really annoyed with this guy's attitude. It was almost like Victor was trying to get him angry, and was doing a very good job of it. Ian was about to open his mouth and send a scathing retort at his opponent when Ann's voice came shouting from his deck. "What do you think you're doing!? You're falling right into his trap if you let him get under your skin."

Once again, Ian found himself blinking in surprise at the sudden display of emotion from his own duel spirit. As much as he hated to admit it, he could the point she made. Things would only go from bad to worse in this duel if he let himself make stupid mistakes just because he lost his cool at Victor. But even so, no one said it was going to be easy doing that. Glancing at Victor again, Ian managed to force back his anger with a tremendous force of will. However, he still managed to glare at the other duelist like he was about to set him on fire with his eyes. "Good…" Ian said calmly. "Then I draw… And now I can use Reaper's effect to return him and my Puppet to my hand. Also, since it is still my Standby Phase, I activate my Serpent's effect to fuse its parts back together."

As soon as the command was given, the two halves of Ian's stuffed Serpent suddenly started to twitch as if they were coming to life for the very first time, then half-quivered and half-rolled towards each other as if drawn by together by a magnet. The closer they came, the more animated they seemed to be, right up until the two halves finally met. The stitching that once held it them together now moved on its own as if guided by invisible hands, weaving through the two parts' stuffing and cloth skin until they were restored. Now whole once again, Forgotten Toy - Serpent reared up triumphantly and gave a wheezing yet intimidating hiss at Victor before settling down into its own coils. At the same time, the image of Ian's toy reaper holding the puppet by its cut strings reappeared in another puff of gray smoke, only to vanish once more in the same way. A moment later, two more cards had appeared in Ian's hand, one belonging to the reaper and the other belonging to the puppet.

Now it would be time to see if Victor could still keep up that attitude after this. "And now that all that's finished… I return my Reaper to the Graveyard, since he's not quite done getting me my friends." Ian couldn't help smirk a bit as he watched one of his favorite toys reappear and vanish from the field in yet another trademarked smoke puff. Although he didn't see much of the little thing's face underneath its hood, Ian thought he was could sense it was displeased.

"Next I play my Field Spell: Broken Toy Chest. And following that, I play the Continuous Spell: Cascade of Toys." As soon as the first card was played, a huge and decrepit toy chest rose in the background behind Ian and loomed over the field like a great wooden monolith . Although it was obviously worn, there was still something about it that made it seem alive. Like it was about to pop open and unleash all sorts of chaos. One would've thought they could've heard children laughing inside the chest, though it wasn't exactly a heart-warming sound. Following that, a larger version of the second of Ian's Spells materialized into view in his back field. A Spell Card with the image of a toy chest being turned upside down and dumping out all of the toys held inside it.  
_  
_**Broken Toy Chest  
Field Spell  
If a monster with "Forgotten Toy" in its name is the target of an attack, increase the ATK of the attacked monster by 1000 during damage calculations only.**

Cascade of Toys  
Continuous Spell  
During each of your Standby Phases, you can draw cards equal to the number of "Forgotten Toy" monsters on the field. Pay 500 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. If you do not, this card is destroyed.

Satisfied at the appearance of his two Spells, Ian gave a confident and even relieved sigh before checking his hand again. He already knew what he was going to do, though. As he took one card, he looked at Victor with a smug smile of his own and a mocking lift of his eyebrow. "And now I summon my Forgotten Toy - Puppet to the field."

As the card materialized on the field, several white string burst from the card's surface and pulled up the creature held within. Soon enough, the same puppet that was once held by Ian's toy reaper had pulled itself up from the depths of its own card and stood there as if its strings were still attached to an unseen puppeteer's hand. But then, the strings once again appeared to be cut and the toy fell to the ground in a jumbled heap, its wooden limbs twisted all about its body. But even then, with that wide grin still formed into its misshapen wooden head, it almost seemed to be leering at Victor with a hidden intelligence.

**Forgotten Toy - Puppet  
DARK**

Spellcaster/Effect  
Once per turn, you can discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 Monster on the field. This monster cannot declare an attack on a turn this effect is used. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1000/1500

"This pal of mine may be smaller than your Juggernaut, but what he lacks in power he'll more than makes up for with appetite. If I discard one card from my hand first, my Puppet can devour whatever monster you have." So with that, Ian pulled one more card from his hand slid it into the Graveyard. But while the card he chose seemed to perish, his Puppet was granted new life. Each of the twisted marionette's slender wooden limbs rattled as it pulled itself back to its feet, it's head tilted to the side as it stared forward at the other duelist's Juggernaut. "It's dinnertime." Ian finished.

All of a sudden, the puppet let loose a wild chuckle as it lifted its arms and held them out as if reaching for the undead abomination directly across from it, and each and every one of the puppet's strings suddenly shot forward and snagged around each of its victim's arms, legs, and necks. The Juggernaut appeared to struggle, but its own might was no match for the strings pulling it forward. With a final chuckle, Ian's toy puppet yanked its arms back and pulled Victor's Stitched Juggernaut right off its misshapen feet and into the puppet's waiting and impossibly wide wooden jaws. Victor's monster was swallowed whole in a single gulp and the puppet merely let out a small belch before settling down into its own square, another child-like yet sinister chuckle coming through its clacking jaws.

You're going down, Victor, just like your Juggernaut."

Next Chapter: Bigger _is _better!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

**--**  
Chapter 8  
**--**

Ian looked over the field with delight. He'd just destroyed one of Victor's best, leaving him with just his Spell and a face-down card.

Yet Victor wasn't even shaken at the loss of his monster. In fact, it was almost as if he were hoping for his Juggernaut to be destroyed. The way his shoulders shook with light laughter as he fiddled with his glasses was proof of that. "Impressive, little Slifer." he began while fixing Ian with a creepy stare through his wire-frame lenses. "But you're only making things worse for you in the long run. Your puppet may have eaten my monster, but he still goes to my Graveyard. Fodder for even greater experiments. And now you are unable to do anything else."

Ian could only blink at Victor's audacity. Who was he to say what he could and couldn't do? Ian's face twisted into a mask of both annoyance and anger as he pointed to his toy puppet and then to Victor. "Not quite, buddy. My Puppet may not be able to attack you, but my Serpent sure can. I'll attack you directly with him for 1000 points." With that, Ian watched his toy serpent rose from its own stuffed coils, bare its plastic fangs at Victor, and charge at him as fast as its stuffed body could move it. The Serpent's angry fangs neared closer and closer to the bespectacled man, yet he hadn't even flinched at all. Instead, the grin on his face seemed to grow even more demeaning as he smiled at Ian.

"_I said_." Victor began as he activated his face-down card. "You are unable to do anything else. In response to your foolishness, I activate Body-Snatching Barrier. "So say Bye Bye to your Serpent. But don't start thinking you'll be calling him back anytime soon with that reaper of yours. Instead of going to your Graveyard, he goes to mine instead! And he is treated as a Zombie-type monster while in there. Don't worry, though… He might actually be useful in my hands."

**Body-Snatching Barrier  
Trap Card  
Destroy 1 attacking monster and send it to your Graveyard. It is treated as a Zombie-type monster while it is in your Graveyard.**

In a matter of an instant, the smug attitude lining Ian's face vanished entirely and was replaced with a mixture of shock, anger, and even some fear. As soon as Victor played his face-down, a dense fog of green mists suddenly appeared from nowhere and swirled along the ground between Ian's attacking toy and Victor's feet. But then, what could only be described as a wall of bone with a truly hellish skull in the center rose up in front of the Serpent, blocking its path and looming over it to make the little quake in its stuffing. However, that wasn't end of its problems. The mouth of the skull suddenly opened grotesquely wide and a giant skeletal arm thrust out through the opening, snatched the terrified snake, and quickly pulled back in. The wall vanished soon after, followed by the appearance of a small headstone rising at Victor's feet. The headstone was engraved with an image of the poor toy serpent snatched by the barrier.

Seeing that his opponent was still in a state of minor shock at having his own monster snatched away, Victor seized the opportunity to continue his plan. Things were going too marvelously, anyway. "Now! It's my turn." the shadowy man began as he drew his card and leered at Ian. However, when he saw the card he had drawn, the leer had instantly vanished and in its place was a look of bemused optimism. "Oh…this should be good. I start by activating my favorite Spell Card: The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber!" he shouted triumphantly, quickly and forcefully activating the Spell on his duel disk with near maniacal enthusiasm.

**The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber  
Continuous Spell  
Pay 1000 Life Points. Once per turn, remove from play Fusion material monsters from your Graveyard to Fusion Summon 1 Zombie-type Fusion Monster. You may not Normal Summon during the turn you use this effect.  
**  
In an instant, the skies had suddenly dark and cloudy. Roiling black thunderheads came rolling in from all directions and blanketed the once blue sky in darkness. Bolts of lightning streaked from cloud to cloud in a vibrant yet terrible display of Nature's fury gone insane, followed by a single bolt lancing down and striking the ground near Victor's feet with an earth-shattering force. When the smoke cleared, a horrific machine now occupied the spot next to him. In a way, it was merely a glass tank filled with strange green chemicals standing on a metal base with wire running all over its surface. But the true horror came when one was to look past the swirling mixtures behind the glass, and see the various body parts floating within. The shock of seeing such a thing had been a bit too much for Ian, and the boy was unable to keep from quickly turn away at what he was now seeing.

Victor, on the other hand, was looking like he was in his true element now. A burst of refined yet maniacal laughter rang out from the man as he lifted his arms to the stormy heavens, his glasses shining with light from the lightning storm overhead. "Now comes the real fun part." he began with a sinister note, sending the tails of his long coat flailing behind him. "I'll sacrifice 1000 of my own Life Points to remove six of my zombies, including your Serpent, in my Graveyard from play, then fuse them all together to summon this. My glorious creation… The Stitched Plasma Abomination!"

Ian Victor  
4000 3000

Another round of lightning flashed in the sky the moment Victor shouted the name of his creature. The machine looming at his side suddenly seemed to come to a life of its own, an infernal whirring of mechanisms, wiring, who knew what else powered it. The vile mixtures held behind the glass chamber glowed a sickly ectoplasmic green as bolt after bolt of lightning struck the top of the machine and coursed all the way down its sides. But it wasn't the lightning that truly powered it. As more stray bolts scorched the sides of the animation chamber, a blood red aura began to leak out from Victor's body and traveled to the machine, where it was then absorbed through a device on the top and processed for energy. Instantly, the machine's noises grew louder and louder, the chemicals and body parts swirling faster and faster, glowing brighter and brighter. Until finally…

The machine suddenly grew silent. The chamber opened with a hiss as bizarre gases leaked out through the widening gap between the glass, and a shadowy hulk even larger than the Stitched Juggernaut lumbered out into the open. The ground literally shook with each tremendous footfall of the creature, yet the lingering gases from the chamber clung to its form and hid most of it from view.

At least, that was until the creature loosed a tremendous bellow that blew away the gasses and revealed all of its terrible might. What loomed before Ian now was quite possibly the most terrible thing he had ever seen, even in his nightmares. Victor's Abomination was easily fifteen feet tall and it stood on two hairy legs like that of a bear, yet they were stitched to a massive and very muscular human torso. The Abomination's left arm seemed normal enough, as it were the only original limb the torso possessed. Long and muscular, like the arm of a powerful barbarian warrior. The right, however, was actually a set of two longer and more slender arms that jutted out from the same shoulder. One hand was actually a bear claw while the other was a patch-work human hand. A long and hairy tail like that of a giant otter trailed behind its wake, while a gristly and very unshaven human head roared at Ian with a hollow rage like the Juggernaut's. But then, the bear's head extending from the right side of the creature's chest was doing the same thing. Yet the strangest part was in how arcs of electricity openly crackled over the creature's entire frame as it revealed itself from the mists of the Animation Chamber. The lightning continued to race over its body until it had settled down into Victor's Monster Zone

**Stitched Plasma Abomination  
DARK**

Zombie/Fusion/Effect  
The Fusion Material monsters for this card any 6 Zombie-type monsters in your Graveyard. This card can only be Fusion Summoned by the effect of "The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber". Return any monsters that were removed from play to Fusion Summon this card to your Graveyard when it is destroyed. As long as "Mystic Plasma Zone" is activated, you may destroy 1 card on your opponent's field once per turn.  
3000/2100  
  
Victor was practically beside himself with joy. The way he was rubbing his hands together with excitement was almost like a little kid eyeing a new bike in a department store. Of course, the only thing Victor was eyeing now was the lone toy puppet laying on Ian's field. A sinister chuckle was given as he pointed at the little toy, which the Abomination followed with its two gazes immediately. "It's a pity I can't use his ability to demolish that bothersome puppet of yours, but no matter. 3000 Attack Points is nothing to sniff at. Soooo…" Victor continued, his arms crossing in front of him almost coyly. "Plasma Abomination! Show him no mercy!"

Right on cue, another roar was blasted from the twisted bear/giant hybrid's two mouths and it went lumbering towards its dictated victim with all the hunger and rage it could muster. Just as it was about to slam one of its arms into the motionless puppet, Ian suddenly swept an arm out and shouted loud enough to even catch the Abomination's attention. If only briefly. "Not quite," Ian exclaimed. "I reveal my face-down Trap. Toy Exchange! "This lets me send Puppet to the Grave, and I'll bring out Soldier in Defense Position."  
_  
_**Toy Exchange  
Normal Trap  
Activate when a "Forgotten Toy" monster on your side of the field is the target of an attack. Send the attacked monster to the Graveyard and Special Summon 1 monster from the Graveyard with "Forgotten Toy" in its name other than the attacked card.**

A split second before the massive and hairy fist of Victor's Abomination would've smashed the little puppet into splinters, another puff of gray smoke hid it from view and then cleared away. But instead of the toy puppet, the same toy soldier that crawled out of its toy chest earlier in the duel now attempted to parry with its tiny toy rifle defiantly against the Abomination. Unfortunately, that did nothing to save it from its own destruction. Another explosion rocked the field when the attack hit, a tremendous wind blowing back Ian's hair as he covered his face from the blast. When the wind died down, he couldn't help but grimace as he watched the Stitched Plasma Abomination lumber back towards Victor's field. Even with its back to him, Ian still felt like it was watching him still._ "If only it had been Serpent instead of Soldier. But that blasted trap of his sent it to his Graveyard instead of mine! I thought it was odd at first, but now I see why. He's fueling his own stupid cards."_

At the moment, Victor was thoroughly enjoying himself. If there was one thing he loved, it was seeing how his opponent's reacted to all the little tricks his deck could do. After all, one first needed the right materials to create masterpieces like his Abomination. But no one said he had to be the one to produce them. "Very well. I end my turn." Victor chuckled darkly to Ian.

"Good, then it's my turn." Ian replied, although a bit less confidently than he was a few minutes ago. "First, I'll draw… Then, I get Puppet and Reaper back to my hand." Once again, the image of the wind-up reaper holding the broken puppet by the strings reappeared near Ian with a puff of smoke, only to vanish once more and return to their cards now in their master's hand. Again, the way the reaper glanced at Ian hinted at the toy's displeasure for doing these little "rescue missions". Glancing at the card, Ian almost seemed to smile ruefully at it before checking the others. "_Reaper, you're doing more for me than you know."_ he silently told it. He then turned his attention to Puppet's card and smiled the same way._ "Same goes for you, too. But I can't use you yet, Puppet. One more turn…I just hope I get away with this…"_

With renewed defiance blazing in his eyes, Ian looked up at Victor and carried on with the rest of his turn. "First I pay the needed 500 Life Points to maintain my Cascade of Toys. Then, I discard Reaper to the Graveyard for his own effect, and I set one monster. Then I end." The sound of his Life Points ticking away seemed a bit more ominous to Ian than usual, but he knew that was probably only his nerves. At least, he hoped so.

Ian Victor  
3500 3000

"Desperate measures." Victor chuckled as he drew. "But it matters not. I play another copy of my Spell Card: Foolish Burial and toss a Stitched Centaur to the grave. Next I summon Stitched Familiar." Just as another image of Stitched Centaur faded away to Victor's Graveyard, the ground near where the Plasma Abomination stood gave away and what a creature that looked like an ordinary house cat crawled out and sat down. But, like the rest of Victor's creatures, there was nothing about this feline that was ordinary. While it held the true shape and size of a cat, its body was only a ragged patchwork of different colored pieces of fur and flesh. One eye blazed a baleful yellow while the other was stared out with a hollow milky white. The stitching over its mouth had been drawn too tight, forcing the undead pet's face into an eternal and unmoving snarl that bared its yellow teeth menacingly.  
_  
_**Stitched Familiar  
DARK**

Zombie/Effect  
When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Stitched Familiar" from your deck. Tribute this card to increase the ATK and DEF of 1 face-up Zombie-type monster you control by 400 points. This increase stays as long as that monster remains face-up on the field. This effect may only be used on 1 monster once per turn.  
800/800  
  
Once it had finished settling down, Victor reached up to fiddle with his glasses some more and waved dismissively at his latest arrival. After all, a familiar was only useful for only so many things. And this particular familiar was designed for only one thing. "Now I'll activate its ability and sacrifice the little thing to boost my Plasma Abomination's Attack Points to 3400. And with that, I'll unleash it upon your set monster." With that, the infernal cat gave a feral yowl before it arched its back as it to lift its fair menacingly at Ian, and then it leapt up into the air over the Abomination's head. But instead of gracefully landing on top of it like one would've thought it would do, the stitching holding the cat's body together suddenly came undone and the bits and pieces of its body came apart at the seams. Yet, instead of the falling to the ground, each of the pieces seemed to levitate and attack themselves to certain places on the Abomination's grotesque form, adding even more flesh to it as well as strength. A rumbling growl was the undead hybrid's only reaction as it set its eyes upon Ian with a bloodlust that only one its own kind could possess. A moment later, it was charging into Ian's field once more and bringing its massive left arm up and crashing down onto the boy's single face-down monster.

But the strange thing was that Ian was smirking even as he watched the Abomination crush his card underneath its hairy knuckles. When the Abomination's fist was lifted away, it would only find a miniature toy car with dizzy spirals spinning in its headlight and a large dent in its hood from the Abomination's knuckles. "I planned on that and I set my Toy Car. This allows me to Special Summon another of my Forgotten Toy monsters from my deck. And I choose one you've already met. I summon Forgotten Toy - Serpent in Defense Position." Just like the others before it, what remained of Ian's Toy Car vanished completely in a puff of smoke and another copy of Ian's Forgotten Toy – Serpent lay coiled up in its place.  
_  
_**Toy Car  
EARTH**

Machine/Effect  
If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Forgotten Toy" from your deck. The deck is then shuffled.  
1000/1500  
  
"Quit stalling and just accept it." Victor called out derisively to Ian. "I'll be the one to win. And when I do the real entertainment will begin. But for now, I'll just end my turn."

"Good. Then it's my turn." declared Ian as he placed his hand on his deck and prepared to draw. "First I'll draw and then I get to draw again thanks to Cascade of Toys and Serpent being on my field. After that, I'll shell out another 500 Life Points to keep my Spell in play." Once again, Ian could hear his Life Points ticking away as he prepared for his next move.

Ian Victor  
3000 3000

At the same time, he also spied Forgotten Toy – Reaper rising from his Graveyard yet again, but this time holding the smaller form of Ian's Forgotten Toy – Soldier in tow. A moment later, both of the toy's had reappeared as cards in Ian's hand. "After that, then I get Reaper and Soldier back. Next I'll summon Puppet, and use his effect to destroy that Plasma Abomination."

"As if that wasn't expected." Victor chuckled mockingly just in time for him to witness the massive bulk of his Stitched Plasma Abomination pulled into the waiting maw of Ian's little puppet. "You may have destroyed it. But when it dies, every monster that was used to make him is returned to my Graveyard as fodder for even more of my creatures, fueling the fires of your demise. What else have you got for me?"

Ignoring Victor's slight, Ian continued his turn and placed another card into his Spell and Trap Zone. "I'll equip my Serpent with my Rubber Mallet next."

**Rubber Mallet  
Equip Spell  
This card can only be equipped to a "Forgotten Toy" monster. Increase its ATK and DEF by 300. If the equipped monster would be destroyed by an effect, you can destroy this card instead.  
**  
What appeared to be a toy hammer with a comical squeaking head suddenly materialized next to where the stuffed toy serpent lay coiled up. In a way, it was kind of funny watching it pick up and hold the new weapon it had been given in its mouth, mainly since it had no other limbs to do so. "Now I'll switch it into Attack Position." Now things were starting to look up in Ian's favor once more. He just hoped that way long enough for him to last. "_I can do this."_ he told himself. "_I can survive his assaults long enough to peg down his Life Points. He can only summon more of those fusions of his so many times." _Knowing that, Ian finally stood ramrod straight and looked at his opponent straight in the eye unflinchingly."I'm going to win. I can save everyone from you, and I will."

All of a sudden, Victor eyes bulged right out of their sockets and a look of complete shock came over him. But instead of an angered retort, the bespectacled man suddenly burst out laughing like he'd been watching a cartoon show. He even doubled over as if to rub it in Ian's face. "Save everyone? Ha! You can't even save yourself, only stall." Victor retorted in between laughs, but slowly recovering his composure. "You think you can impress me with those strategies you're using? No, you're not going to be the one to win. I will. Accept the concept, because it is all you have to face." With that, Victor wiped a tear from his eyes and allowed a few more chuckles to escape his lips before managing to recover his wits and smile darkly at Ian.

"Why are you doing this? What could you possibly expect to gain from terrorizing duelists, and student duelists to boot?!" Ian shouted.

"My plans work out to my own accord, and need not be passed by the likes of you, let alone be understood. What's it to you? You've always been a loner, haven't you? Just you and the Forgotten Toys, ever since that fateful day when you happened upon them, correct?"

Now it was Ian's turn to stare wide-eyed at Victor. _"Again, how does he…what's going on?"_ the boy thought as he cast a wary glance at his own deck. What was the connection between Victor and his cards? When Ian spoke to Victor again it was with a calm yet obviously wary tone. "How do you know about that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Victor chuckled. "I planted them for you to find them. I sensed the potential there, the connection you would develop. As I've done with so many others as time has passed. I've been planning this day for years, and it warms my heart to see it all come to fruition."

_"He…he set this up?"_ Ian silently exclaimed, now looking at his deck like it had shoved a knife through his own heart. "Ann! Did you know about this!?" Ian shouted, once staring down at his deck. He hoped it wasn't true, that he hadn't been used all these years for some diabolical plan the twisted maniac had set up. And years! That was something else altogether. Finding this deck was what made Ian seriously consider dueling to begin with. Before that, it was just some fun little thing to squeeze in whenever he felt like it, but afterwards…

This… A plan years in the making? Yes, Victor certainly looked like he had a few years over Ian, but not that many! To set it up, he would've still been in grade school, and that's just crazy talk. "_No, something is just not right here. I can't even…how?"_ Ian was completely frazzled by everything Victor was saying.

"Ian, don't listen to what he's saying." Ann's voice responded, again floating out from his deck. "He's just trying to mess with your head. You know what he's saying is impossible."

"So what is your connection with him then?" Ian responded, a venomous edge laced within his words.

"I…can't explain it right now. We have to finish this match, and then everything will be revealed." Ann's voice sounded strained, and for good reason. Her very loyalty to the duelist who wielded her and her friends was being questioned.

Ian struggled to grasp with what it all added up to. Certainly it wouldn't be a stretch to consider Victor playing mind games, but still…why? Victor didn't need to. He already seemed crazy and dangerous enough without throwing out this strange story. And why did it all seem so believable?

"Heh…" Victor chuckled once more. "Are you enjoying the chat there, Ann? Don't worry, I'll defeat your pet soon enough, and then perhaps you might end up in the hands of someone who is actually a capable duelist."

"You just…" Ian started before faltering. How could Victor hear a thing that Ann spoke to him!? It was just wasn't… possible. But now, it was all starting to catch up with Ian. What was he doing? How could he even begin to think he could take on this guy? "_I must've been crazy to think I could do this!"_

"Ian!" Ann pleaded from the deck. "Don't give up. It's what he wants you to do."

"No, don't listen to the betraying little fiend." Victor interjected. "She's been playing you all along, leading you to your end. You're going to lose, as you clearly had no chance to begin with. I'm going to win, as I always have. And as I always _will_." Victor nearly spat the last word with smugness, as if it were an undeniable fact.

Then, something snapped inside Ian. At that moment, at that precise instant, Ian had become so sick and so tired of this entire duel and all of its weirdness that he simply decided he wouldn't take it anymore. He knew what he had to do, and how to do it. He had to stop Victor. "No, you're wrong…" Ian answered defiantly, once again regaining form so he could stare Victor straight in the eye. "Someone like you, an enemy of all those he faces, will never keep winning. Eventually, he will be defeated, and that happens _now_!"

"But that's just it," Victor chuckled grimly, returning Ian's stare without faltering, "I am not your enemy."

Next Chapter: The Enemy of My Enemy?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

**--**  
Chapter 9  
**--**

As if things couldn't get any more convoluted. "WHAT!?" Ian exclaimed at Victor, his expression fraught with confusion, anger, and shock. "Not my enemy!? You've been putting my friends into _comas_! I don't know about the rest of the world, but that sounds like something an enemy would do!" he continued, his face indignant with rage while he thrust an accusing finger at Victor.

But Victor's only response was another bemused chuckle. He put his fingers to his glasses and shook his head as if he were trying to explain something to a child, and having little success. "Hmm…but isn't the enemy of my enemy my friend?" Victor's grin only widened as Ian's face contorted in confusion.

"What? What does that have to do with anything!?" shouted Ian. "_This guy is absolutely nuts! What's he talking about?"_

"Tsk Tsk, dear friend." replied Victor with a waggling finger. "What if you were to be told of an even greater threat? Something so powerful it's beyond our imaginations. Certainly that would make me seem as nothing by comparison. Wouldn't you agree?"

"You're still evil, no matter what you're being compared to." Ian countered. Right now, it was taking all of his willpower to simply not explode at the other duelist.

"Heh, I'm glad you see it that way, as it's the point I'm trying to make. Evil is evil, and needs to be taken care of, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes!" Ian shouted, confused by Victor but at the same time still just as angry. "_Who does this guy think he is? He's doing these…things, yet he justifies it by saying there's worse out there? It doesn't matter!"_ Things were making even less sense than they were a moment ago, but Ian was more than sick of it long before now. All that mattered to him was this match, and then taking Victor off that self-righteous throne of his. It was then that he fixed the bespectacled duelist with a vicious and determined stare, his lip twisting into a furious grimace."No." Ian murmured, "It doesn't matter what you're being compared against. You're still evil, and I aim to take you down! Charge him, Serpent! Take out that Stitched Familiar!"

Once again, the ragged stuffed snake gave a wheezy yet angry hiss and lunged forth, its body coiling around and squeezing Victor's patchwork zombie cat to pieces. The undead feline gave a final ragged yowl before it finally burst apart in Serpent's deathly embrace. Yet another explosion of smoke rocked the field, followed by Serpent's retreat back to Ian's side of the field. But as it settled down and laid its plastic jaws over its own coils, the smoke cleared from Victor's side and a third Stitched Familiar was seen sitting contently in the spot where the battle had taken place. Its malignant yellow eyes leered at the toy snake, its decaying fangs glistening in the meager light of the storm overhead.

Again, Victor only laughed. "I'm very glad you see my point, but I'm disappointed you've provided such a poor match. My Familiar once again replaces itself. Not to mention that I now have even more materials to craft my creations with. Your efforts are futile."

"Yeah, we'll see about that. I set one card and end my turn." Ian grumbled, a face-down card materializing in his back row.

"Hmm, I suppose it would be time I end this then." Victor mused to himself while stroking his chin, a note of disappointment laced within his words. In a way, he almost seemed a little sad that the duel had come to this. He had been expecting a bit more fight out of Ian, after all. Could he have been mistaken about him? No. Of course not. This is exactly what he would've expected from such a lackluster duelist. With that thought in mind, Victor lifted his gaze to Ian and sighed wistfully while shrugging his shoulders. "It's unfortunate you still consider me an enemy, but then again, I've no need for an ally such as yourself." he continued before a mocking grin curled his lips. "It's time now, for me to activate my Spell again, and bring out another grand creation!" he roared triumphantly while thrusting a finger at the lightning-filled sky overhead. But this time, the grin became dark and predatory as bolt after bolt crashed into the repulsive Animation Chamber sitting on his field. Once again, the chemicals began to swirl together behind the glass doors and a blood aura flew from Victor and was absorbed into the twin lightning rods sitting on top of the machine. "And this time, I couldn't have done it without your help." Victor leered at Ian. "You see… By sending the last few zombies to my graveyard, you have given me what I need to create the masterpiece of your demise! I could tinker around with lesser creations, but they do my brilliance no justice! I now remove every last zombie in my Graveyard, ten in total, and 1000 of my own Life Points to summon forth my most powerful and grandest creation The Necronaut!"

Ian Victor  
3000 2000

It was then that a hidden feature of Victor's infernal machine was revealed. Instead of the twin glass doors opening to reveal yet another twisted corpse creation, a set of hidden windows on the machine's top slid open and pillar of sickly greenish light erupted forth and parted the stormy clouds overhead. A vast army of undead souls swirled around the pillar of light, screaming into the stormy night with a hollow and hungry rage. The green light grew brighter and brighter, more and more horrible to look upon until Ian simply couldn't bear to face it any longer. He lifted one arm to cover his face just as the searing eldritch light became all but blinding, then moved it away once the storm of souls had passed.

But once he saw what was looming over him now, he wished he hadn't.

What Victor had said was true. This latest of his creations, this unspeakable creature that stood so tall it reached the clouds, made his earlier monsters seem like child's play by comparison. What stood before Ian wasn't so much a creature as it was many rolled into one form. It was a giant looming spire fashioned from giant and rotting human skulls, with smaller unseen forms writhing in the gaps between them. Six long and spindly arms jutted from the sides and ended in cruel and thin talons. In a way, they almost seemed spider-like as the Necronaut dragged its massive body along the ground by its fingertips, the upper arms reaching for Ian as if to devour him. But the most horrible thing about was the sound constantly gushing forth from the dozens upon dozens of smaller creatures trapped within its many decayed skulls. It was like all of the mouths of Hell were screaming for revenge against the Living, to devour their flesh and their souls.

**Necronaut  
DARK**

Zombie/Fusion/Effect  
The Fusion Material Monsters for this card are any 10 Zombie-Type monsters in your Graveyard. This card can only be Fusion Summoned by the effect of "The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber". Return any monsters that were removed from play to Fusion Summon this card to your Graveyard when it is destroyed. When this card is Fusion Summoned, destroy all monsters you control and you cannot Normal Summon or Special Summon any monsters for as long as it remains face-up on the field. This card may attack all of your opponent's monsters once each during the same Battle Phase. Negate the activation of an opponent's Spell, Trap or Effect Monster card that targets this card and destroy it.  
3500/3000

It would seem this was Victor's shining moment. The Necronaut was by far the tallest creature Ian had ever seen. Even if he were to strain his neck and look straight up at it, he would only be able to see the tip of the wretched skull monolith disappear into the swirling black clouds above. But that's when he realized something truly horrible about the creature. Each and every one of the skulls' empty eye sockets burned red with an inner hellish glow. And they were all looking straight at him, no matter where they were located. "You know what makes this one so nasty?" Victor leered. "This mighty behemoth can not only take out anything sitting on your field, but it is also renders useless any and all effects that would target it. The small cost of this that it's just so huge I don't have enough room to summon any more monsters. But then, that's hardly a concern now. Especially considering you can't use that annoying little trick you've continued using with that wretched Puppet." he explained darkly, leering at Ian and even going so far as if to lick his lips as if he could taste victory. "So, why wait!? Necronaut! Strike him down!" Victor roared to his behemoth creation, a fit of insane yet glorious laughter rising from him and mixing with the thunder overhead. "_Indeed, a small price to pay for ending this charade."  
_  
However, it would seem Victor's win would be delayed. Just before the bespectacled duelist gave the command, Ian's arm had swept forward to activate a single face-down card. But then, what good would it do if that Necronaut happened to be immune to it. "Not so fast." Ian shouted. "I use the face-down card I just set."

"Heh… And what can you do if you cannot target my monster?" Victor scoffed dementedly.

"This. I use Threatening Roar. It won't do anything to target it, but shuts down your entire chance of attacking before it even begins!" As the Trap flipped up to reveal its power, the image of the Beast Lord known as the Manticore of Darkness roaring in defiance at a larger horned beast, Behemoth, The King of All Animals, blazed proudly on the front of the card and a tremendous roar like a proud and furious lion's issued forth. The sound wave washed over Victor's field and blew his hair back from his face, one of his arms lifting to shield his face from the blowing dust of the field. Even the mighty Necronaut had no choice but to pause in its onslaught. For now, anyway.

"Hmm, perhaps I underestimated your will to survive." Victor began once the roar had faded into silence. I'll grant you this one last reprieve before I obliterate you next turn." Even the Necronaut seemed to shuffle impatiently. A couple of the skulls making up its body even seemed to gnash their teeth at Ian, as if cursing him for denying them their rightful kill.

"That's what you'd like to think. I draw, pay 500 more Life Points to keep my Cascade of Toys, and then get two more for Cascade's effect. First I'll set one card. Next I summon Forgotten Toy - Soldier to the field."

Ian Victor  
2500 2000

**Forgotten Toy - Soldier  
DARK**

Warrior/Effect  
Once per turn, you can discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 Spell or Trap card on the field. This monster cannot declare an attack on a turn this effect is used. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1500/1000

The card flashed into play, revealing an old wooden soldier in a state of disrepair. His blank face glared forward with faded painted eyes as he held a cracked musket in the one remaining arm he had. The other was nothing more than an empty socket at the shoulder. A large screw had been drilled through his head, but it appeared to have little or no effect on the determined warrior. He didn't look like much. But then, most of Ian's monsters usually didn't. But what they lacked in appearance and attack strength, they more than made up for with their own unique abilities. Now Ian was going to remind Victor of that little fact.

"After that, I set another card face-down before tossing the last one in my hand to use Soldier's special ability and destroy that Animation Chamber!" With that, the small wooden trooper lifted its gaze and its toy musket and set its sights on the infernal machine sitting on Victor's field. But instead of a shot being fired, a deafening thunder like a rifle shot and a large cork tied to a string was fired from the musket's barrel, but flying as fast as any bullet. The cork seemed to spin like a drill as it slammed into Victor's Animation Chamber, shattering the machine and the card it sat on to glass-like holographic shards. Afterwards, the Soldier simply yanked back on his weapon and reeled the cork back into the barrel of it.

Yet, all the same, Victor was hardly perturbed at the loss of his Spell. "Hmph, it's not a big deal. I'll just get another one. I draw one card and set another one from my hand. But now it seems that little toy's time is finally up." Victor chuckled, just as a copy of the card he set materialized on his field. But even then, the way he was looking at Ian along with his field, another chuckle passed through the man's lips. "Now then… I suppose I could just attack with my Necronaut and end this duel, but it seems you've left yourself wide open. I'd have at least thought you'd put your monster in Defense Position, but then I suppose you have a Trap. Am I right?" Seeing Ian's surprise, Victor merely chuckled. "Come now, you think such shallow play will work against me? Activate it and end this charade."

Ian glowered at his opponent. "Fine, you want to see my card? I'll use it then, and show you my Threatening Roar." Once again, another brutal and primal sound wave blew over the field and ended any of Victor's chances for attacking. But then, it wasn't like one more turn would make a difference in the long run.

"So, you planned on halting me once more? Very well. I end my turn."

_"He thinks he knows everything. Well, I'll show him." _Ian began as he placed his hand on the top of his Deck. "I draw, pay 500 Life Points for Cascade of Toys, and get three more cards for all the Forgotten Toys I control." After checking his hand, a small grin began to slowly make its way across the boy's face. Now it looked like things would be going his way for once. "It's time I show you what these Toys are capable of. I summon my Forgotten Toy - Teddy to the field." he said to Victor while placing his card on the field.

Ian Victor  
2000 2000

As soon as its name was called, yet another of Ian's Forgotten Toy monsters flashed onto the field. But this time, what emerged from its card was an old teddy bear that looked like it had seen better days. Bits of fluff could be seen poking through various small gaps in its stitching and even though it possessed both of its eyes, one didn't seem to be clinging on very well. In a way, it was probably the most comical of Ian's monsters, just in how it turned its head curiously at its new surroundings. But when it saw the Necronaut looming before it, the poor little bear almost seemed to momentarily jump out of its fluff in fright. But then, almost as if it were realizing how it must've looked to the other toys, Teddy fixed Victor's only monster with a brave glare, then challengingly lifted its little yet plump belly before letting it drop with a "Sproing" like in the cartoons.

**Forgotten Toy - Teddy  
EARTH**

Beast/Effect  
Increase this card's ATK for every other monster with "Forgotten Toy" in its name. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1500/1000

Needless to say, Victor was not impressed. "Hmph, he's still not enough. With three others, he's at a miserable 3000 Attack Points. Your little bear, and the rest of your toys, can't possibly defeat my Necronaut." Victor almost seemed to roll his eyes at Ian's efforts while he fiddled with his glasses. "Come now, just admit defeat. I've got places to be and people to see, you know."

Ian visibly bristled at Victor's comments, but the anger seemed to pass as quickly as it came. Instead, only a grim sense of determination came over him, almost as if he were actually dreading what he was about to do next. "For once, I agree. None of my toys can possibly match that things attack strength." he continued before looking up to glare at Victor. "Not alone, anyway. But there is a way for them to defeat your monster. I don't like doing this with them, but you leave me no choice." His words almost seemed somber as he cast a passing glance to each of the four toys on his field. "It's time to summon the ultimate terror from beneath the bed; a creature that haunts every little child's nightmares. I remove from play the four Forgotten Toys on my field to summon…this. The Forgotten Toy Chimera"

The second Ian finished his last word, each and every one of his Forgotten Toys were suddenly shattered or torn apart, only to have the pieces swirling together in a miniature cyclone of plastic, fabric, and stitching. They all came together in a single spot on Ian's field and a strange and disjointed shape started to form from the debris. It seemed a random hodgepodge of different toys, stuffed together as if just from the trash compactor, but molded into a lumbering humanoid visage rather than just a trash heap. A box made up a good potion of its body, drawn from a yet unknown Forgotten Toy, while one Teddy's arms came out of the left side, but looking longer and much more powerful like it when it attacked. It was held on by random shreds of plastic and fur, a set of four long and scything claws sprouting from the rounded paw at the end. Likewise, the upper length of Serpent coursed out the right side, its eyes glinting maliciously as it gave a wheezing hiss at Victor. It had no legs, but instead rode up wheels, perhaps those of the Toy Car which was so cruelly smashed by the Stitched Juggernaut. Almost most horrifying of it was that it was not a creature with one head, but two. The broken Puppet from earlier hung limply side by side with Soldier's, who stared forward with a grim sense of determination.

However, there was an aspect about the thing that wasn't readily evident at first, but it soon took over a person's entire view of the abomination; even so much as to distract one from its atrocious pairing of heads. The most distinguishing aspect of it was that it almost glowed with an immutable malice, like all of the abuse and hatred for being abandoned from each of the toys that made up its body had been gathered and given form in this creature.

**Forgotten Toy Chimera**

DARK  
Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect  
2 or more "Forgotten Toy" monsters  
This monster cannot be Special Summoned except by removing from play the above fusion-material monsters (Polymerization is not needed). This monster's original ATK and DEF are equal to the combined original ATK and DEF of the fusion-material monsters and this can gains the effect of 1 of the fusion-material monsters. Once per turn, you can discard 1 "Forgotten Toy" from your Deck to your Graveyard. This card gains the effect of the discarded monster in addition to its own.  
?/?

"What…is…that?" Victor gasped, staring at the monstrosity. It had been a long time since anything at taken him by surprise. "That thing…" he whispered, still staring at the creature. _It's… so dark. So filled with rage. How could that little boy really use something like that?_" It was then that Victor finally looked away from the Chimera and turned his attention to Ian, a dark and fascinated grin covering his face._ " What else could those little things have up their diminutive sleeves?" _It was at this moment that Victor started to chuckle. Then he burst out loud with full on laughter. "Hahahahahaha! Who would've thought you actually had it in you, Ian!? To keep something so evil hidden to use at your disposal! Hahahahaha! And here you are calling _me_ the 'evil one'. Why… That thing is welcomed into the company of my Stitched anytime!"

The Chimera was unaffected by Victors laughter, and neither was Ian. "I don't care what you think, I'll do what needs to be done." he replied to Victor before turning to the monstrosity sitting on his field. While others would probably look upon the creature in horror, the best Ian could do was only muster a tinge of shame mixed with sorry. "_I'm sorry I dragged you into the light, but it needs to be done. I'll end this quickly and return you to your darkness." _Now there was only one thing that needed to be done. As he turned to Victor, for what he hoped would be the final time, Ian crossed both arms over his chest and started to calmly explain his monster's power. "With Puppet, Soldier, Serpent, and Teddy being removed to summon this creature to the field, it's now at 5000 Attack Points. It also has the effect of Teddy, although I see no point in activating it now." he began before selecting another card from his hand showing it to his opponent. "Next, I activate from my hand Lightning Vortex, and discard my last card to destroy all face-up monsters on your side of the field. Once again, it doesn't target, so Necronaut's effect is all for nothing."

The Spell Card flashed into play, if only long enough to gather the flashing lightning in the sky focus it into a devastating blow. In the end, a single huge bolt of yellow lightning came streaking down from directly above Victor's Necronaut and cleaved it right in two. A horrifying and baleful moaning came pouring out through the mouths of the many skulls that made up the creature's body, right before a tremendous explosion shook the field hard enough for even the students back at the Duel Academy to feel it. Once the smoke had cleared, Ian gestured to his Chimera and then pointed directly at Victor. "And now you're wide open. Destroy him, Chimera! Wipe that smug expression off his face!"

The hulking mass of toys shifted at the command, its wheels spinning and creaking as it raised the clawed Teddy arm and pointed it at Victor. But then, crackling energy suddenly poured from its four claws, traveling further up its arm until the entire limb was covered in an aura of malignant fire. It drew its arm back, then slashed forward at the air in front of it while a set of four spinning blade-like waves were released and sent sailing towards Victor. The farther the energy blades traveled, the larger they became and the faster they spun. Like boomerangs of doom.

But despite the power unleashed by the Forgotten Toy Chimera, Victor couldn't seem to stop smirking as he watched his defeat come sailing at him. That same maniacal glint still shined in both the lenses of his round glasses and a wry "Tch" sound escaped through his lips. "You've outshined the others, but you still fail just the same. I activate my Trap Card, The Mad Doctor's Cauldron."

**The Mad Doctor's Cauldron  
Normal Trap  
Special Summon 3 "Stitched Tokens" (DARK/Zombie-type/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position. They cannot be Tributed.**

As soon as the card was revealed, a large and black cauldron suspended in the air by chains shimmered into sight, perched so that it boiled almost directly over Victor. With a dismissive wave of his hand, Victor gave the silent command for the cauldron to spill over, unleashing a wave of green liquid like the kind found in his Animation Chamber. Along with the torrent, what appeared to be three small corpses came falling out of the cauldron and landed with a sickening plop just in front of Victor. In some ways, they looked like human remains, but tightly rolled into a slimy ball with eyes that glinted forward.

Of course, neither one of them was enough to battle Ian's Chimera, but that was never their purpose. A fraction of a second later after being summoned, the four spinning waves unleashed by the toy chimera's claws crashed into the middle token and sliced it to pieces. Smoke and fire billowed from where the attack landed, but the roar of Ian's monster, hateful for being denied its moment of glory, eclipsed the sound of the fire crackling as it died away.

Victor almost seemed to revel in the sound. "You see? This duel was never in your hands. I've held control the entire time." he sneered at Ian, his glasses still glinting maliciously from the lightning overhead. "Granted, the entrance of such an amusing monstrosity momentarily startled me, but that doesn't mean I wasn't prepared. Now, watch as I show you how futile your effects were. First, I play a new Animation Chamber, at the cost of another 1000 Life Points. And I think I'll let the suspense build before you see what I'm going to construct."

Ian Victor  
2000 1000

Just like before, a second infernal machine with vile green chemicals contained behind two glass doors rose into being on Victor's field. The blood red aura was already forming around Victor's body and flying towards the machines receptors, where it was absorbed and turned to energy for it to function. The chemicals held within were already starting to glow green and swirl maddeningly together, the various body parts floating within it hitting the glass lightly. But then, the doors opened with a hiss of emerald mists and whatever was held inside stepped out. Ian's eyes widened when he saw another Stitched Plasma Abomination leering at him through the swirling mists, the teeth of the bear's head jutting out of the creature's chest chomping its teeth at him.

"And I will also play Mystic Plasma Zone." Victor continued, just the sky overhead turned impossibly darker and the lightning became more and more frequent. But this lightning was far from natural, white hot fire tinged a dark blue that arched between the ring forming from the clouds. Victor smiled at the change in weather before turning to Ian. "Have you a guess what I have in plan for you?"

"No." Ian gasped, realizing he'd lost. "NO! You can't!"

"But I can. And I _will_." Victor smiled, his grin wider than before as he spread his arms in triumph. The flaps of the long black coat he wore flailed wildly in the strong winds, almost seeming to look the wings of a demon rather than a coat. That fearsome sight only seemed to grow more and more scary as he continued to explain to Ian how he was to be vanquished. "Since you destroyed my Necronaut, everything removed to summon it returns to my Graveyard, giving me plenty enough to summon forth a second Stitched Plasma Abomination. If you'd forgotten, then let me remind you of what he can with my Field Spell out. By channeling the dark storm's power through his body, he can destroy one card on the field. Say, something such as that impressive monstrosity that unfortunately stands in my way." Turning to his monster, Victor gave it a silent nod and pointed to the lone monster Ian controlled. "So then… Plasma Abomination, destroy it! Wail of Dark Thunder!"

At that moment, the human head of the Plasma Abomination did exactly as Victor commanded. Tilting its neck back, it let loose a tremendous roar that seemed to shake even the clouds in their storming sanctuary. Lightning coursed between the clouds, lightning the sky in brief flashes, but doing nothing to truly illuminate the darkness around them. The upper arm on the creature's right side suddenly raised itself straight up, its clawed fingers spread as if reaching for the power in the clouds, and the bear's head in its chest let a roar to match the grizzled human face between its shoulders. But then, a single bolt of dark lightning arced down and struck the creature's lifted hand and coursed down it and covered the rest of its body. Electricity glowed all over Stitched Plasma Abomination for the briefest of moments, then surged forward in an arc fired from the bear's mouth towards the Chimera, shattering it into the thousands of pieces it had assembled itself from. "And after that show of power, I think I'm done here. Destroy him!" he ordered his monster. The creature nodded in agreement as the electricity surged once more, this time gathering into its huge left fist before being thrown at him like a giant crackling ball. It collided directly in the boy's chest.

The pain was immense as electricity crackled all over Ian's body. As it subsided, Ian kneeled down expecting the blackness of a coma to creep over his consciousness.

And waited.

But it never came. _What…is going on?_

"Are you going to be standing up anytime? I haven't all night, you know."

Ian gasped in shock as he opening his eyes, only to see Victor looming over him with a look of complete impatience. "What's…going on?" he asked, repeating the thoughts that had passed through his mind bare moments before. A headache was already pulsing inside his head as he looked around, only to find that not only was the field clear, but so was the sky. The sun had returned to light the bright blue sky.

"I tire of my charades, and am glad I can finally begin with the next phase of my plans. You've proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can certainly aid my cause." There was something different about Victor's grin as he spoke. While it still unnerved Ian greatly, it was somehow less…dark. A degree of malevolence had vanished from Victor's face.

"Your cause!?" Ian exclaimed, rising to his feet. Even without the malevolence, there was no accounting for Victor's actions. "I could never-"

"Shut up." Victor ordered tersely, shoving Ian back to the ground, "And get out of my way. I need to hurry back to the campus before your friends get too riled up. You should follow too, and bring Ritsuko. She'll be awake in a moment."

"What?" Ian argued, turning to look at where he'd left Ritsuko. Sure enough, she was shifting, as if just waking up from a nap. He quickly rushed over to help her up, not noticing that Victor was already leaving the clearing. "Ritsuko." he gasped as he kneeled down to make it easier to talk. "You're…okay?"

"Ian?" Ritsuko murmured blearily. In all honesty, she couldn't remember what happened recently. Ian started to help her up, when suddenly it occurred to her that there was a certain evil figure missing from the equation. "What's…Victor!" she exclaimed, lurching forward out of Ian's arms. "Where is he?"

"He already took off, said something about heading to the campus. Come on." he replied, holding out his hand to help Ritsuko. Victor had already left the clearing by this time. "We have to hurry. I knew that guy was bad news, but during our duel he kept ranting on like a madman." he went on, although now he was beginning to wonder if there wasn't anything more behind those rants. "_Not to mention that whole thing with the Toys. I'll have to figure that out later, when no one is around."_

"Oh god, I can't even think-" Ritsuko started before clamming up, her hand reflexively going up as she started gnawing on her fingernails in fear.

"Yeah, we've got to catch up with Victor before he gets to the Academy. I just wish it was easier to get through this place. So many paths, it gets so dang confusing…" Ian was already looking in all directions and trying to remember which way he had come through the forest. But after the experience he just lived through, it all looked the same to him. It was times like that he wished he bothered to bring a map. "_Why was it so easy for me to make it into this place, and now I can't find my way out?" _he complained mentally.

"It's this way." Ritsuko mumbled, still gnawing on her nails, "Let's hurry." She stepped quickly down one of the various beaten paths through the forest, giving Ian no time to decide whether she was right or wrong.

_"For Duel Academy's sake, I hope this is the right direction."_ he thought to himself.


	10. Chapter 10

**--**  
Chapter 10  
**--**

A few hours later….

"That's it!" Ian shouted. "We're lost!" He had no idea how much time had passed since he and Ritsuko had begun their "little" trek back to Duel Academy, but it certainly felt like forever. They had made little progress so far, if any at all. In fact, now that he thought of it, he could've sworn they had just passed that same tree stump a half an hour ago!

Ritsuko shrank away from the sound of the shorter boy's raised voice. "I'm sorry. I thought that if we-"

A defeated sigh from Ian silenced the girl's words. "It's not a problem." Ian said quickly, realizing he had scared her. "We just have to backtrack and I'm sure we'll eventually figure out our way out of this mess. Then again, if we head one direction long enough, I'm sure we'll eventually find out way out…"

"Yeah…" Ritsuko answered meekly. "I'm sure that'll work. I just hope we get out of here soon. It feels like we've been wandering around for an hour at least". After spotting what she thought to be a familiar path, Ritsuko motioned towards Ian and pointed to it. "Let's try that way."

"Or…" a sudden and all too familiar voice interrupted. "You could just follow me, dear friends." Accompanying this sudden interruption, a shadowed figure suddenly swung down in front of where the girl was standing, hanging from the knees upside down like a bat. "Hello." Victor grinned, light reflecting off the big round lenses of his glasses.

Needless to say, Ritsuko didn't exactly greet him kindly. A terrified and surprised scream was loosed from the girl's lips as she simultaneously swung her arm to slap at Victor with all the might she could muster.

"Ack!" Victor exclaimed, barely avoiding the sudden slap by quickly ducking back up into the tree momentarily. After a bit to make sure it was safe, he descended once more, but slowly so as not to provoke another attack from the terrified girl. Of course, she was already trying to hide behind Ian's diminutive form at this point. "I should've expected that." the bespectacled man said with a sigh. "Really… Why couldn't I remember what happened last time I happened upon you? Eh, Ritsuko? That being said, you think she'd-"

"Victor." Ian growled, glaring at the man with daggers in his eyes. _"How dare he show his face to us and act like nothing's wrong!" _

Meanwhile, Victor appeared simply oblivious to Ian's tone. "Yes?" he said simply while casually examining a fingernail.

"What…do you think you are doing?"

"Hanging upside down at the moment. Why?"

"That's not what I meant!" Ian shouted, clenching his fist as his blood started to boil. Ian liked to think that he was a calm person and that it took a lot for people to get under his skin. Most people just thought he was lazy, though. But this guy—no, monster was too much. After all he'd done, he deserved a punch in the face.

"What do you mean? I'm not a mind reader." Victor antagonized with a sly but mocking grin.

"No, but you certainly love toying with our minds." Ian growled lowly. The knuckles of his right fist popped softly as he clenched it harder and harder. Every word, every mocking syllable, Victor made always seemed to feel like pins and needles being pushed into Ian's brain. Well, Ian wasn't going to take it anymore. His knuckles popped again as the boy's eyes blazed with barely restrained fury, and he pulled back his arm and launched himself forward to finally deliver some well-deserved punishment to Victor's face.

However, it just wasn't his day. Within the last second, Victor not only pulled himself onto the branch he was hanging from to avoid the impending pain, but did it all with a grin and even a small chuckle. Sitting there with his legs dangling over the branch's edge, he grinned at the two students with a Cheshire's smile.

"No, that won't do." Victor laughed while waggling a finger at Ian. "You wouldn't want to do that. But we don't have that much time. Your other friends are waiting for you two. Shall we be going?"

Ian froze the moment he heard Victor's words. "What have you done with my friends?" he exclaimed, whirling around after stumbling from his failed attempt at a decent punch. However, there was now another problem. When he turned around to face Victor, he wasn't even on the branch anymore. That was when Ian noticed Ritsuko's gaze and followed it to spot Victor on the trail they'd just come from. _"Damn, how's he moving so fast?"_

"Oh, it's nothing of concern for you." Victor called back at the pair over his shoulder, leaping and vaulting from branch to branch with unearthly grace. The tails of his black coat flailed in his wake and seemed to appear like great black wings. "But I do suggest you try to keep up." With that last comment, Victor vanished into the foliage.

"Come on." Ian shouted to Ritsuko while following into the bushes. It turned out there was another trail behind the thick brush, hidden from site. Victor stood at the end of it, cradling one arm in the other as he rested his head in his hand. The sarcastic shaking of his head, as if he were upset, was in complete disagreement with the huge grin on his smug face. This did little to help Ian's mood. "Why you…" he started before continuing to run towards Victor.

Once again, the fiend disappeared from sight, only to show up moments later somewhere down the path. A voice inside Ian's head said that Victor was taunting him, but he ignored it despite knowing it was true. Even if it was reeeeeaaally irritating. _"I know he wanted to get me somewhere, but I don't care. Wherever it is, I'm gonna pound his face in when we get there!"_ Ian was vaguely aware that Ritsuko was barely keeping up behind him.

This continued for a good ten minutes at least before Ian finally rounded a corner and burst out into a clearing. To his surprise, it was the same clearing where he had just dueled Victor; the one that Victor always kept using when meeting the students of Duel Academy. But this wasn't nearly as surprising as seeing his friends all burst from the shrubbery on the other side of the clearing. He could already spot the familiar forms of Lee, Joe, and Mitch. Aaron wasn't far behind. "Mitch? Lee? What's going on?" Ian shouted as he caught up with them with Ritsuko following close behind. Although, she was breathing a tad heavy.

"I'd like to know myself, pal. " Lee answered, running to the center of the clearing to meet Ian. Mitch, Joe, and Aaron were close behind Lee and appeared to be as equally perplexed as their good chum. "One minute, we're all sitting around, and the next that jerk Victor shows up and calls us all out here." Lee continued. However, the look on his face told Ian that wasn't even half of the surprise in store for him. "Plus, guess who woke up?"

Ian gasped, realizing exactly what Lee was getting at. This was only reinforced as Amy and Milly both stepped out of the shadows behind Mitch and Lee.

"You two!" Ritsuko practically squealed, then realized how stupid she sounded. She quickly rushed over to rope both of her friends into group hug. "You're both all right, I mean."

"Yeah…" Milly replied nonchalantly, "But that jerk Victor got away from us again! I swear, when I get my hands on that man, well…we all know what happened with Joey-boy's monsters, now don't we?" Milly chuckled at the memory, but was obviously just as annoyed as Ian was that Victor has slipped through their grasp. The sound of a very annoyed Joe clearing his throat broke Milly out of her reverie, and she turned to him with a smug yet sheepish grin. "What? It's true." she shrugged almost bashfully.

That was when something didn't feel quite right. "Wait." Ian suddenly realized. "You mean you chased Victor here? But that's impossible! I chased Victor here!"

"You must be mistaken." Milly replied with a lifted eyebrow and a shake of her blond locks. "That simply can't be true."

"I swear! I chased him all the way here. If you don't believe me, ask your friend." Ian argued, jerking his finger at Ritsuko.

"He's right." Ritsuko agreed meekly. "I couldn't see him most of the time, but he kept showing up, as if he was luring us here."

"Odd." Mitch interjected. "That crackpot was doing the same gig with us." he continued while carefully scanning their surroundings.

"How else would I be able to get you all together, my dear friends?" a dark and maligned voice interrupted. Everyone turned to Victor standing at the edge of the clearing.

Lee was the first to react. "That's it!" he shouted before breaking off into a run towards their common enemy. "You're mine!" Lunging forward, the larger boy cranked his arm back and rocketed it upwards to deliver a bone-crushing uppercut to Victor's jaw. Despite his size, it seemed that Lee could move fast when he wanted to and there wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind that Victor would be lifted clear off his feet if that strike connected. Actually, Ian was thinking that was a little disconcerting about his friend. _"Note to self… Don't make him mad."_

Victor, on the other hand, was just plain amused at such stupidity. "Silly student." he sneered, tilting his head and leaning back at the last second to avoid contact. Following this, all in the same sweeping motion, he stuck his foot out to trip Lee, and grabbed the outstretched arm before yanking it behind his attacker's back. It was clearly painful looking as Victor spun Lee around to lock his arm into place, his back to Victor's front.

"Why you son of a-"

"Nuh-uh-ah." Victor clicked, shaking his head in disapproval. "Children present, including yourself. At least, that's what you should be thinking of yourself as, launching at me with such a lack of finesse." It was obvious that the bespectacled man was enjoying this on some level as he lifted his gaze to the others. That same smug grin that never failed to get under Ian's skin had come back again, though this time it was now obvious that it wasn't just Ian that was irritated severely by it. "Now, I want you all to listen carefully so I don't have to break your friends arm. And I want honest replies to my questions. Then we can all go home happy. Okie dokie?"

"Why you…" Ian grumbled, clenching his fist once again. _"He's got us. We can't do anything without risking Lee getting hurt."_ It appeared the others also knew this, and were frozen like statues.

Victor's smile grew broader. "Very good. Now, I ask you… Have you enjoyed my little game?"

"GAME!?" Amy shouted, surprising everybody save Victor with the power behind her voice. "You put Milly in a coma! Then you forced Ritsuko to do the same to me!" The girl's voice was practically shaking with rage, but a soft shoulder squeeze from Milly and Ritsuko seemed to calm her down. But only barely. After swallowing hard to regain her composure, Amy opened her eyes again and glared at Victor. "You're just a weird little sicko with big glasses and a bad coat. You had no right to do this."

"I'll take that as a no." Victor chuckled before wrenching on Lee's arm. Lee couldn't help but stifle a growl of pain. "Now do quiet down before I break this off. Next question. Would you like me to continue?"

Joe cut Amy off with a sweep of his arm before she had a chance to shout again. "I think…" he swiftly answered. "It's safe to say that we do not."

Amy fumed at being cut off, but nodded a curt agreement.

"Hmm, it's to be expected." Victor nodded, seeming in agreement with the much more reasonable sounding person. "Most people do not enjoy have their lives at stake, but I assure you that from now on, that will be the case quite often." For a moment, Victor's grin seemed to falter a bit as he held Lee steadfastly. "Now, I can finally end this sham and reveal my true agenda. Which fills me with a certain degree of joy, I'll tell you right now. You see, I don't like hurting you little students."

"Then what's your excuse for all of this?" Ian argued. "You think people like getting put into comas?"

"No." Victor countered, shrugging of the seriousness in Ian's voice, "But it was necessary. And for your own good." A pause followed to let what Victor had just said to be absorbed into everyone's head. That, and judging from the incredulous and gap-jawed expressions everyone had, it was a little while. "I had to show you…_children_…a world in which your every waking moment was tormented by a powerful entity who treated you like playthings. I had to show you what it was like to get manipulated, played with, and eventually tossed aside when you were broken. Some of you already have companions who know that feeling all too well, don't you?" Victor snickered, gazing at Ian intensely. The others picked up the feelings passing between them and cast a nervous glance to Ian.

"Yes." Ian replied simply, leaving a long silence as everyone waited for more.

When he decided that Ian wouldn't say anything more, Victor merely shrugged and continued his dialogue. "As I was saying then, I think you all have quite a good image of that, and don't ever want to see it again. Trust me, neither do I. So, what must we do to prevent this?"

"Stop people like you." Milly curtly answered with her arms crossed in front of her. She almost seemed regal in the way she stared down Victor. However, Victor's reaction pretty much caught everyone off guard.

"Yes!" Victor exclaimed loudly, a grin growing across his face once more. "We must stop people like me. But not exactly like me, and I'll reveal why in just a second. But first, I have one last thing to say before wrapping up this fun little chat. It's this. I chose this group, each and every person. I wanted all of you here, tonight, for this very special get-together. You'll each find out why eventually. Not now, but eventually. That's why I hope you'll all stick around afterwards so we can find out together." There was a smugness in Victor's voice, a kind of self-assured knowing that they _would_ all just stick this through, as if Victor knew something else he wasn't telling.

"As if." Ian heard Joe mutter under his breath.

Victor seemed to pause again, most likely expecting a few more nasty retorts, but all he got was cold stares. Shrugging it off, he chuckled to himself before continuing. "Very well. I guess I'll end this little midday get-together and get to the reason why I assembled this _team_, or whatever you'd call it. I'll start by saying this: I didn't get here by boat. Nor did I fly in here. No, I took an alternative means of traveling to this particular island to find fellow duelists to aid me in my quest. I came through a portal."

"A what?" Mitch gasped. "What kind of crazy talk is that?"

"I assure you, it's no jest." Victor began smugly. "I'm sure you're all well aware of the legends surrounding this school. About how a group of skilled duelists, one Jaden Yuki in particular, saved it time and time again by using the powers of this other world. Most of you probably think it's all just a story to attract students." he continued, the grin swiftly leaving to reveal deadly seriousness. "Well, I can _assure_ that it's not. I came here through a portal, a portal from the realm of Duel Monsters. It's a realm in which all of your Monster Cards, all of your Spell Cards, all of your Trap Cards…are real. They're living breathing creatures. They're the landscape, and the forces that shape it. They're the confrontations, the history…the very essence of that realm."

"You can't honestly think," Lee grunted through clenched teeth, "that we'd buy that garbage."

"Quiet you." Victor ordered, yanking his hostage's arm a bit further. "Now, as I was saying, that is where I came from. But, not originally. No, I was born here on good old Earth, our planet. Our dimension. But as I attended this very institute not too long ago, I was approached by an ancient and powerful entity. I was stupid then, and was quick to agree to offer my skills for its power. It was only after I was trapped in its employment did I realize the evils he intended for this world." Another pause followed before Victor continued. "The entity that I was approached by was none other than one of the rulers of the Duel World, Caius the Dark Monarch." Another hush fell over the students at the mention of the name, and all of them couldn't resist the chill that ran up their spine. Each of them were all too familiar with the power commanded by the cards known as the Monarchs, and the thought of even one actually being a real creature in some unseen world was an unpleasant thought. The fact Victor said it was Caius didn't help at all. "You see, he and his brothers run things over there. Despite the other powerful monsters that exist, they've somehow managed to gain enough power to control them all. Each has staked out his own piece of real estate if you would, and made it their kingdom."

Ian was still mulling over the thought of a real live Monarch actually existing when he spoke again. "Say we buy into this fantasy of yours." Ian interrupted. "Big deal. So they're causing trouble over there. So what?"

"So…." Victor chuckled, giving Lee's arm one more tweak to keep everyone's attention. "They want to bring the fun _here_. They're bored with their domain in the Duel World, so they intend to change things up and finally merge it with ours. I've heard that it was attempted in the past, but nothing came of it. Whether it was because of good ole Yuki's efforts is a mystery. However, I do know how to stop it this time. And that, my friends, is where you all come in."

"You can't be serious." Joe reiterated. "How are a bunch of kids supposed to stop these things? Even as just cards, the Monarchs are pretty powerful. I don't even want to consider facing the real thing."

"Oh, but you will consider it." Victor argued, "and quite possible it could be you who faces one of these fearsome siblings." he continued with a sort of demented optimism. "Time will tell, but for now, let me finish my speech. Yes, as I was saying, the Monarchs intend to merge this dimension and theirs. Already, 'occurrences' happen where the paths cross. Why, that's how I got here! And it's how some of the Monarchs have already recruited human followers. To think…" Victor trailed off, obviously losing himself in some distant memory, "There's other idiots out there like myself, or worse yet, people who willing betray their own world for power." Suddenly, as if hitting a different string of thoughts, Victor returned to reality. "But yes, make no mistake, the Monarchs are coming, and they intend to bring their whole world with them as they take over our own."

"Still, I fail to see where we come in." Joe argued again.

"How can I put it simpler?! You're going to defeat them!" Victor shouted, a giddy sort of joy jumping out with his words. "I don't know how, but it seems you are all special in some way. A couple of you have become somewhat apparent to me, but I know little about the rest of you. As I said before, only time will tell."

He was answered with silence before eventually continuing. Sighing lightly as if in exasperation and defeat, Victor rolled his eyes a bit before continuing. "Fine then, I guess I'll finish this up. I'm sorry for my actions thus far, but be assured that I did them for the greater good. I had to portray myself as the ultimate evil, because that is what we intend to face. Now…"

All of a sudden… **_CRACK!_**

One moment, Victor was about to continue on with his speech without so much as batting an eyelash at everyone else's expression. But the next, Lee had managed to work his free elbow into the right angle and send it crashing right into the side of Victor's face. The blow had managed to shake the fiend into loosening his grip on his hostage's arm and Lee managed to wriggle free and rejoin the others, his face red and furious as he rubbed at the arm Victor had been toying with.

Meanwhile, Victor seemed to be busy staring at the little birdies circling his head before he managed to shake out of his own delirium. But the odd thing was that he wasn't even angry. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders, rolled his eyes, and rubbed at the bruise forming on his cheek where Lee and struck him. "I suppose I deserved that. But anyway… Our mission is now to defeat the evil that is the Monarchs, and prevent them from taking over our world. If you are willing, I will show you how to do this." However, a tone of warning rang clearly in Victor's next words. "But, I cannot help you…if you will not help me. We have to act together against these powers, and act now." The way Victor stared at them harshly now was unsettling as always, but now it was for a different reason. Instead of the creepy and evil glare they had always seen him use, the way he looked at them now was as a person who needed help and needed it sincerely. For the first time, Victor appeared human to them. " I'll give you all one week to mull over all that I have told you, and then I will return to meet your decision. If you decide that I'm a crazed psycho…. Well…" Victor chuckled. "Then perhaps you deserve what happens to our world. If not… if you believe I am speaking the truth and can realize the danger approaching from beyond the horizon, than I will gladly welcome your aid as we move onto the next step in my plan." After a bit, Victor let his hand drop away from his bruised cheek. However, the thing was that it was finally revealed, the bruise was completely gone! "That's all I have to say for now. I guess I'll be going Oh! But before I do…." he said turning to Milly. "Milly, did I ever tell you that you had a sweet deck?"

Moments after dropping the sudden and unusual complement, Victor launched himself backwards, disappearing into the trees. Even with the sun still out, Victor somehow seemed to melt into the faded shadows themselves as he vanished from sight.

Next Chapter: Decision Time!


	11. Chapter 11

**--**  
Chapter 11  
**--**

_"I'll give you all one week to mull over all that I have told you…"  
_

Those words Victor had spoken haunted Ritsuko the moment she heard them. "_One week to decide the fate of two worlds."_ the girl mused apprehensively on her bed. It seemed more than Ritsuko could imagine. She had always thought there was something out there, that there was more to the world than just what could be seen on the surface. But, she had never in her life considered that the monsters within her cards were living and breathing creatures in another dimension. Duel Monsters were real? And they were coming _here?_ _To this world?_ It's just too much!

"Ritsuko!" Milly nearly shouted to her friend and roommate. "Snap out of it!"

The sudden exclamation managed to startle Ritsuko out of her reverie, and with quite a start, too. For a moment, all she could do was blink with wide eyes around the room as if searching for whatever made such a ruckus before she finally settled on Milly. "Oh, sorry." she replied sheepishly with a bit of a melancholy smile before rolling over on her bed towards Milly and fiddling with the edge of a blanket.

Milly knew she shouldn't have been this surprised, but a part of her would just never cease to be when it came to Ritsuko. Uttering a slow sigh, the blonde girl came to sit on the edge of Ritsuko's bed, crossing one leg regally. The look on her face was a mixture of exasperation and worry. "Sheesh, dear… You've been zoning out there for nearly five minutes." Milly began with her brow furrowing slightly. "It's what that odd one Victor said yesterday, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" Ritsuko sighed into her pillow. "I just can't stop thinking about how this is way over our heads. I mean, we're first-year students! How are we supposed to be able to deal with this? This is a job he should've gone to the pros for." Even now, that thought was plaguing her incessantly. What made a bunch of first year students so special, anyway. Ritsuko barely had any victories before dueling Amy in Victor's "shadow dome", as she termed it, and that had been the hardest duel of her life. If things were only going to get harder than _that, _then she certainly wasn't going to hold out much hope for success. With whatever they were supposed to do, anyway.

"Oh silly…" Milly chuckled out as she stood up to stretch her arms over her head. They'd both been sitting for quite some time working on their homework before Milly had noticed Ritsuko staring out through the window. Well, at least they were trying to work on their homework, that is. Given the events of the past few days, it was pretty hard to concentrate on anything besides that. "I don't know why that egocentric nut-job came to us either, but the facts stand. I really hate to say this, but…I believe him."

"You…do?"

"Yeah, I was thinking it over last night, and came to quick agreement with myself."

"But…already?" Ritsuko could hardly believe the words coming out of Milly's mouth.

"Yes, is there a problem with that?" the blonde smirked while quirking an eyebrow at her friend.

"Well, I mean…I thought that after all he's done, that you'd…"

"Hate him and not believe a single thing that comes out of his mouth?" Milly chuckled as she paced back and forth to stretch a bit more. "I'm afraid only the first part remains true. I still hate the guy, but I already thought it was odd how he randomly popped up on us and played his devilish tricks." A barely noticeable shiver ran up Milly's spine as she remembered her duel with Victor. And those Stitched monsters of his. How horribly disgusting, they were. But then again, one of the first things her uncle Maximillian had taught her was that you couldn't always judge things by their appearance.

Not that they weren't any less ugly, though.

After pacing back to her own desk, Milly turned and fixed Ritsuko with a warning look and lifted a finger as if to clarify something important. "Now, while I can't agree with his methods… Well… I can certainly understand his designs."

Once again, Ritsuko found herself quite shocked at what she was hearing. Normally, Milly was way too stubborn to consider anything beyond the moment, the here and now. But yet, she was now showing a surprising depth of wisdom that Ritsuko had never seen in her before. "I…I suppose." she nodded reluctantly before sitting up and hugging her knees to her chest. All in all, what Milly had told her made a bizarre kind of sense, but she didn't like it any more than what she had to begin with. After all, putting people in coma's and tormenting them seemed like hardly a fair thing to do if you wanted help.

Seeing Ritsuko's expression made Milly want to try and cheer her up. Besides, the tense atmosphere in their room was becoming stifling. So she did what she did best. Flash a dazzling smile of pearly whites and place a hand on her hip before sassily popping it out and flashing a victory sign. There were very few things in life that could get Milly to stay worried, and she certainly wasn't going to let Victor or his designs have the honor of being one of those things. "Even if he's trying something with us, I know I can deal with whatever he throws out now." the blonde continued confidently. "He got the jump on me before, but this time I'll expect the unexpected."

That made Ritsuko's head perk up curiously. "But how do you know?"

"I just do. I know I can handle it. No matter what happens."

Ritsuko was silent, but the way she looked down and nibbled her lip was certainly loud enough to broadcast her unease, and Milly took note of it. Immediately, she dropped her victory sign and crossed her arms sternly in front of her. "Now look here…" she started, her brow furrowing ever so slightly so as not to crease that perfect forehead. "I don't want what I've said influencing you now. You need to decide for yourself whether or not to throw yourself into this. I'd never be able to live with myself if I dragged you into this and something bad happened." What she said was sincere. Despite her outward demeanor, Milly Pegasus was not one of those spoiled rich debutants that cared more for their hair and clothing rather than their "friends". People like that disgusted her on so many levels and she was bound and determined to never become like that. Besides… She liked her friends too much for that.

"Oh!" Ritsuko countered quickly while quickly waving her hands in front of her. "I'd never do that. You don't have to worry; I'll figure it out for myself." She meant it, too. In a way, Ritsuko was happy that Milly had come to terms with what she would do next, but it also made her feel that much more stuck in a rut concerning her own plans. Settling her chin on her knees again, Ritsuko let out a sigh and rolled her eyes at her own indecision.

Milly let out another chuckle before softly clapping her hands together as if in agreement. "Good!" she chirped. "Then if we're done with that, how about helping me with my Counter Trap homework? It's really got me stumped!"

--

Meanwhile, back in the boy's Blue Dorm, a certain pair was also seriously debating the validity of Victor's words. And whether or not it was worth potentially putting their lives on the line for.

It seemed that Joe was having a harder time with that than his chummier friend. He and Lee had been arguing over that in Joe's room for the better part of an hour, and it seemed to the Obelisk Blue that he was no closer to the end of it than he was at the start. Of course, he figured that would probably happen. Once Lee got an idea into his head, it was nigh on impossible to make him see it from any other angle. Not that it would stop Joe from trying, anyway. "Look, all I'm saying is…where's the proof?" Joe argued from across the room, his face gazing intently into his laptop's screen where some duel statistics were being displayed. "How do we know this isn't just another sham to lure us into?"

"Hey, pal, he's proof enough to me." Lee chuckled. While Joe sat at his computer desk, Lee had opted to sit in another chair. He was idly playing with an old Rubik's cube while listening to Joe's side of the story. Or trying to, anyway. He was still a little busy fantasizing about dreams of glory and kicking bad guy butt in another dimension. Looking up from the cube, the Ra Yellow regarded his friend with a big but incredulous grin. "I mean… How else do you explain what he's capable of? Black force fields springing over duels, people falling into comas, even being in different places at the same time? I mean…seriously!" Lee exclaimed.

An exasperated sigh was torn from Joe when he heard what Lee had to say, so he stopped typing on his keyboard and turned away from his desk to look at him with an eyebrow arched. "Yes, he's capable of 'something', but then stranger things have happened in the world. But Duel Monsters being real? This…" ,he said while picking up one of the cards he'd recently pulled out of a booster pack. "This being a real monster in some other dimension? You can't be serious."

"I am 100 percent sure of it, buddy." Lee answered as he twisted one side of the Rubik's cube. "Sure enough to put my life on the line. You should too."

This only made Joe want to shake his head even more. "No." he argued while fighting the urge to smack his forehead. "I need proof. I need facts. Something solid enough to really prove that this isn't all just a big fat trick."

"Can't put your faith in what the guy says?"

"That…guy…put at least two people we know into comas. I know that for a fact."

"Yeah, but he did it for a reason."

Again, Joe could only sigh at what he was hearing. "Yeah, and he also had your arm twisted behind your back. Remember that?"

"Oh yeah…" Lee chuckled, his ever-present grin growing wider as he no doubt was visualizing the scene. "I remember that, but I got him back for that one. BAM! Right in the ol' kisser!" he shouted while comically pumping a fist into the air.

"And even after that, you're willing to trust him?"

"Sure thing, man. He did it all for a reason." Lee replied, with a not a trace of doubt in his own words. If there was one thing to be said about the larger Ra Yellow, it was that he could either be the most stubborn or gullible person one could ever hope to find. Either that, he had a kind of sixth sense about situations like this. Lee chuckled again before finally completing one side of the little cube. "Granted, the guy could've chosen a helluva better way of doing things, in my opinion."

"No argument there…" Joe agreed, turning back to his computer.

"Look, pal. All I'm saying is why can't we trust the guy? If he'd have done something, he'd have done something." Lee continued to argue. "Instead, here he is letting our friends out of their comas and pleading with us to help him save the world. I mean, _save the world_ for crying out loud, pal!" Lee exclaimed. In a manner of speaking, he was starting to feel just like one of the main heroes in all of those videogame RPG's he liked to play so much. And it was _very_ cool feeling. "Just think about it…" Lee finished, tossing down the unfinished cube into the chair as he stood up. "But if you can't trust the guy, then oh well, man. But I don't know about you, but I gotta go. I hope you figure out what you're doing, because I'm already certain of what I'm up to."

"Indeed…" was Joe's only comment as Lee walked out the door.

Other people, however, weren't able to decide nearly as quickly. This seemed to be the case as Amy was strolling down one of the many sidewalks around the school grounds. She had thought that a late afternoon stroll would help clear her thoughts and focus on what she should do, but so far it wasn't working very well. The more she thought about it, the more fantastic, incredible, and scary Victor's story became. The heels of her school-issue boots clicked lightly on the pavement as she kept walking. The blonde ponytail she always kept her hair in swayed idly in the breeze while a few stray strands framed the sides of her worried face. Part of her thought she was living every duelist's dream by getting a chance to "save the world" and all that, and honestly the thought did make her a little excited. But the more rational voice in her mind kept reminding her that there was a lot more at stake here than anything she could ever dream of? What would happen if she accepted? What would happen if they succeeded? Or worse… What would happen if they all failed?

Without knowing it, the girl turned a corner that lead closer to the woods where the group had their last meeting with Victor. She was still deep in thought, and not really watching where she was going, when she heard a sound that made her look up with a startled gasp. And saw that the sound that had scared her was only Mitch releasing a bored sigh as he leaned his back against a tree a ways off in front of her. _"Oh geez!"_ the girl mentally exclaimed. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest when she pressed her hand to it and tried to calm herself down. _"Gotta watch where you're walking, girl…"_ A mild shiver ran up her spine at the thought of accidentally finding Victor again, or another person just as creepy, instead of just Mitch. _"Hey… Wait a minute."_ the girl thought suspiciously to herself when she lifted her gaze to where the taller boy was sitting. _"Why is he out here, anyway? Oh wait…"_

It was then that she remembered Mitch saying something about trying to "keeping an eye" on Victor and the woods. Amy couldn't help but tilt her head at him curiously at that. After all, what else was out here that any of the group hasn't already seen? "Keeping watch", as Mitch had put it, seemed like an exercise in futility to her. But even so, she couldn't help but let a small but knowing smile spread over her face as she thought about that reason some more. Despite the small amount of contact they had between them, Mitch struck Amy as being a bit duty-oriented in some ways. "He probably just didn't want to waste time sitting in his room thinking about things when he could be doing something productive." Or trying to, at least. The girl let her smile grow a bit more before she decided to make her way towards him and see what decisions he had come to. Besides, it looked like he could use some company. She knew she certainly did.

Coming up casually beside him, the girl laced her fingers behind her back and leaned her shoulder against the tree he was leaning on. "So…" she asked quietly. "Have you…found anything?" She knew she probably already knew the answer to that, though.

"No…Not that I was really expecting to, anyway." Mitch muttered and glanced at Amy out of the corner of his eye. His brow was furrowed in deep thought while he adjusted his glasses. "But, the problem is that I don't know if that's really a good or a bad thing."

"Why?" she asked him with another slight tilt of her head.

Mitch could only shrug his shoulders at Amy's question. "Because it might mean _he's_ right." Mitch sighed while pushing up his glasses with a finger. "And if that's so, then we're definitely in for a _very _rough time. If that's even the right way to describe it."

Amy couldn't help but agree with what Mitch was saying, no matter how unpleasant it sounded. Whether she liked it or not, Victor was the key in all of this. If Victor was found still lurking near the campus, it would be fair to say that this was all just a sick joke or an even sicker sham. But if he wasn't found anywhere near, then it would probably because he had no _reason_ to be, which then made his story seem all the more plausible. Either way, both outcomes were extremely unpleasant to the girl and the smile she once wore slowly faded away into a worried frown as she looked up at the boy at her side. "Well, there's no sense in over-thinking things and then working ourselves up into a frenzy over it. You sound like you need to relax a bit." she said as she came away from the tree to stand in front of him. "Let's take a walk. Walks always help me when I have a lot to think about." she smiled warmly.

For a moment, it almost looked like that Mitch was about to shake his head and refuse her offer. But then, as he glanced again at the woods through the corner of his eye, he had a change of heart about what it was that he really was doing out here. His shoulders shook lightly as a little chuckle left his lips. "Sure, why not? It's not like I'm missing anything here." With that, the two walked side by side back towards the school and feeling a little easier about how they would fare in the struggles to come.

Since then, the two had been walking together in relative silence. Yet, the strange thing was that this silence didn't feel stifling at all like Amy thought it would. Instead, it was almost soothing. Just having someone near, someone who knew what she was going through, was enough to settle her nerves about the whole. That… and well, having Mitch nearby made her feel a little bit safer against Victor or another creepy person popping out of the bushes at her. She smiled lightly at the thought before taking a step closer to Mitch as they continued to walk. "I never did thank you."

"Hm? For what?" Mitch replied curiously, his eyebrow arching at the girl while his glasses reflected the sunlight softly.

Amy just shrugged at the question. "I heard that you were really worried about Milly and I after Victor put us both in comas. I just felt I should be thanking you." she continued with a hint of the old smile from before returning to her face. Once again, her fingers linked together behind her back as she looked up at him. She wasn't sure, but she thought she almost saw a bit of redness in his face for a tiny moment.

"It's not a big deal." Mitch gruffed. "I just… Well, I was worried that you'd be stuck like that forever. Anyone would be." he continued. The sun had just started to go down over the volcano behind the school, and the air felt warm and pleasant to him. But even with that, he still couldn't shake off the anger he felt at Victor and his tricks. Mitch's jaw clenched ever so slightly when he started to replay the events in his mind. Even from behind his glasses, the anger that blazed in his eyes was still quite visible. "I can't believe he tried that with us, putting people in comas. And what for? To make us see what it'd be like if we ignore what he _says_ will happen if we don't help him? The ends don't justify the means."

"Yeah…" Amy agreed softly, right before she smirked at him lightly. "But even so… Thanks for worrying."

"No problem." Mitch replied simply, then settled back into silence. After a bit, he picked up the conversation again. "What do you think of all this?"

"It's crazy. Normally I can make up my mind about stuff." replied Amy, her arms reaching to the sunset sky to stretch them out. "Actually, it's always been a problem of mine that I decide stuff to fast. But this… This I just don't know about."

"Yeah… Same here. I can't help but think this is way beyond our heads. I can normally make up my mind and be happy with it reasonably quickly. But this is nothing like I've ever experienced before." A chuckle shook Mitch's shoulders. "It kind of makes me wonder what the others are thinking."

Amy couldn't help but laugh a bit at that. "Oh, I'm sure Milly's all for it. She's always been kinda reckless, and never thinks much about running into stuff." the girl continued while letting her arms settle down and behind her back. "Plus, she's always had her heads in the clouds. But Ritsuko's probably just as confused as me."

"How did you three end up friends, anyway? The loud cousin of the game's maker, the shy and quiet girl, and you? Seems kind of odd." asked Mitch with a hint of a chuckle at the end of his words. "Then again… You're kind of like a mix of 'em both, if you don't mind my saying."

"Oh, no worries." Amy laughed. "I get it all the time. But honestly, it just sort of happened. I grew up with Ritsuko, and was actually her only friend for some time since she was so quiet. But then Milly showed up, and immediately fell in love with Ritsuko's tigers. She's always been weird like that." She shook her head lightly at that little memory before continuing on, her gaze finding its way back to Mitch's as they rounded the corner back to the school. "But anyways, she wouldn't leave Ritsuko alone, and one thing lead to another and we all ended up great friends. Nowadays, you can't keep us apart." Amy was laughing to herself as some random memory as she finished, enjoying the trip down memory lane.

Mitch smiled to himself as a similar memory flashed by in his mind. "Sounds cool. It was kind of the same thing with Ian and me. Ian and I went to school together. I kept the bullies off of him and he helped me not to make too much of a fool of myself back then. I was always doing stuff like climbing trees and what not. …and falling out of them, mostly." Mitch couldn't help but sweat drop a bit at the memory of one such occasion where that happened. He had been trying to climb the biggest tree in the school yard while Ian stood on the ground and threatened to go get the teachers if he didn't come down right away. Well, he came down all right. Just not in the way that wouldn't hurt. Or one that wouldn't wind up with Ian right beneath Mitch with little dazed swirlies in his eyes. He and Ian had bruises for weeks after that little incident. "Of course, that doesn't happen so much nowadays." Mitch quickly added on.

"Oh, of course, of course." Amy nodded to Mitch while playfully ribbing him. "And what about Lee? You seem to be friends with him too."

"Oh yeah… That guy's a character, too. Although, I think he uses too many pronouns in my opinion. Always calling someone 'pal' or 'buddy'. We actually just met him when we came here."

"Yeah, I noticed that too. He is a bit odd."

"Yeah, you got that right. Makes me think he's going all for this crazy stuff. He seems the type."

"And what about Ian?"

"Ian…Well… I don't know about that guy." Mitch said quietly with his brow furrowing again. "I mean… We've been friends for more years than I care to count, and I still don't understand him sometimes. He has this random streak of getting serious and brooding before disappearing, especially after a duel."

That bit about Ian made Amy regard Mitch oddly again. It seemed to her that there was hardly anyone that was normal around here. Then again, she also supposed that included herself. "That's certainly odd. Any idea why that is?"

Mitch only made a very obvious shrug before settling his hands into the pockets of his Ra Yellow jacket. "Heh… You tell me. I haven't a damn clue."

--

Meanwhile, the very person Mitch and Amy were talking about was in the middle of some heavy-duty brooding right this moment. After making sure Aaron wasn't going to be popping by, he simply locked the door to his room and sat down at his desk with his deck placed in the center. With the way he was staring it, one would think he was trying to decode the mysterious of life with it. In a way, what he was doing was a similar task, but one that he wished he wouldn't have to do. That task was to figure out the truth behind everything that was happening. And figure out, one way or another, what his Forgotten Toys had to do with Victor.

"So what is your connection with him, then?"Those were the words he had asked Ann not too long ago, almost right after he had finished his duel with Victor. They were mostly spoken out of anger and without waiting for a reply, but the bite of the jealousy he felt back then still hurt him even now, and it didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. That, and remembering what Ann had said to that didn't help much either. _  
_

"I…can't explain it right now. We have to finish this match, and then everything will be revealed."That was her reply. And now, three days later and he still didn't know any more than he'd started with. He only had more questions. And he wanted them answered now.

"Ann." he whispered softly. "Tell me what's going on. I need to know."

For a moment, all Ian heard was the sound of silence in his own room. He almost thought Ann wasn't there, but in truth, he knew better than to think that. Ann was always there, whether he liked it or not. As if to confirm that, a little but plainly upset voice came from a spot on the desk's left side. "Three days later…" Ann's voice called out before she materialized on the edge of his desk, her one button eye staring square at him, "…and you finally ask."

"Don't try me." Ian growled, glaring back at the Duel Spirit. "I don't have the patience for that right now."

"But why? Why did it take you three days to work up the gumption to talk to us? We're still loyal to you. I tried explaining earlier, I did. Victor wasn't saying anything true. I can honestly say that we've never met Victor before he showed up here." said Ann, the hurt she was feeling made obvious by her tone. In a way, it was almost like she was trying to plead with him. To desperately convince Ian that neither she nor the other Forgotten Toys would never do anything to hurt him.

Ian, on the other hand, was still too angry and hurt to really notice any of that right away. This entire thing with Victor stunk of treachery, and the idea that it involved his closest friends in the entire world… Well, it did more than hurt him. It quite honestly almost tore him apart inside. His hard gaze remained unflinching as he watched Ann say her piece, only to then fire off a retort at her without a moment's hesitation. "Then how did he know what you did? Why did it all seem like it was according to _his _plan?"

"I don't know!" Ann shouted, standing up on the desk and stomping her foot on it like a little child. She didn't say anything more until she had recovered enough to look at Ian in the eye again, but even then the sadness and bitterness in that one button eye shone brightly as if it were real. "But I can tell you this. Our world is real, and so is the threat to it. We saw the potential in you and that's why we chose you! Victor saw that too, and that's why when I saw him after Amy and Ritsuko's duel, I trusted his words and lead you to him. I didn't think he'd do what he did. He said he just wanted to talk!"

"Is that why you were so worried? Cause he just want to _talk_?" The venom was back in Ian's voice, as if he didn't trust a single word Ann said.

Ann flinched back a little from Ian's tone, but quickly recovered enough to cross her arms defiantly. "The things he said…they had me…_unnerved._ What has been happening back in my world…I didn't know about since coming here for you. I knew something had to be done, and I realized that was exactly why you drew me and the rest of the Toys to this world. We needed you. And we need you now to trust Victor."

"How can I trust him if I can't even trust my own cards?" Ian retorted as he glanced away from Ann and towards the one window of the room. A slight breeze was blowing in and rustled through the boy's disheveled black hair.

Ann could only sigh at that and rested her head in one arm. A little shiver seemed to shake the doll's body as if she were cold, but anyone would know right away that doll's don't feel cold. "I don't know. If anything else, trust his intentions. I know they're true, and that he actually wants to save the worlds."

"But with students? First-years? Slifers!? Who's he kidding?" Ian was nearly shouting as he ended the thought. None of what Ann was telling, absolutely none of it, was making any sense to Ian. That, and the more he heard it, the more agitated he became. The way he glared at Ann made her flinch away from him again, and then all she could do was simply look up at him with like her heart was broken.

"Some people see things in what others discard. I thought you knew that." Ann replied quietly as her image faded away.

"Hmph…" Ian muttered as he settled back into his chair. He was still angry, and still feeling very hurt and confused, but what she had said hit a chord with him. It took him back to the day he'd found his deck, and why he'd seriously taken up dueling.

--

_When he'd first started playing, it was something casual to do with friends. But it all changed the moment he'd found the Forgotten Toys._

_They were nearly tossed, really. It happened while he was hanging out a the local card shop, when he was gazing wondrously at the powerful cards behind the counter that he'd never have a hope of buying, when he spotted the clerk moving to the back door with a box full of a cards. On a whim he shouted out, "Hey, what's that?"  
_

_"Oh, this?" the clerk mumbled. "Just some junk cards that nobody's buying. I need to do something with them to clear up space for new inventory. Why? You wanted to look through them or something?"_

_"Sure!" Ian agreed quickly, thinking he might get lucky and find a new powerful Monster or Spell. Besides, he didn't have anything better to do.  
_

_And then, as he was rifling through them, he saw his first Forgotten Toy. It was Ann, and for some reason…it was calling out to him. It was begging him to dig them all out. To save them from a life in some basement box, or worse…a dumpster. He couldn't explain why, but back then it seemed like the most important task he ever had. One that made him feel so happy and so excited at the same time. So he quickly dug out the entire box, grabbing every one of the Toys before turning to the clerk. "How much for these?" he asked, urgency tainting his voice._

_"Whoa kid." the clerk chuckled. "Calm down. Lemme see here." The clerk mumbled to himself as he went through the cards, occasionally checking the notebook at his side for prices or something else. As soon as the last card was set aside, the clerk simply regarded Ian a bit curiously before just shrugging his shoulders and smiling. "Heh." the clerk laughed. "Well kid… since I feel like such a nice guy, and I see you with your friends in here all the time, I'll give you a break. Besides, it's not like I was going to be selling 'em anytime soon. I'll let you take them all for free, but only if you promise to keep it a secret, okay?"  
_

_Hearing that almost made Ian literally jump for joy. "Sure!" Ian shouted as scooped up the cards and dashed out the door within a moments notice. However, maybe three seconds later, the chime of the door sounded softly and Ian poked his head back inside. "Thank you, mister!" he called out before dashing off again towards his house. As he ran off as fast as his little legs could carry, he became sure these were just the thing to help him beat his friends. They might all have good cards, and always beat him in the past, but that was about to change!_

_--  
_

_However, it seemed that was not to be. The young Ian soon found himself facing down an old rival with his Toys during a lunch time duel at school, and he was still being beaten badly. Even worse, the opponent was openly mocking his cards._

_"Come on!" the kid bragged. "Everyone knows Snipe Hunter is way better than that dumb Puppet! And don't even get me started on that wimpy Ann card."  
_

_"No, they're not!" Ian's younger self shouted. "I'll show you what they can do!" With that, he reached out and yanked the top card off his deck, then slammed it onto the table. "I play their Field Spell "Broken Toy Chest", and then I activate the Trap "Locking the Chest". This gives a permanent 1000 ATK boost to all Forgotten Toys, which let's me use Teddy to defeat your monster…and you!"_

_"What? Impossible!" the kid shouted, his eyes bugging out of their sockets in total disbelief. But then, the other kid simply growled at Ian and stood up from his chair. "That's not fair. I quit." the kid huffed while he gathered up his cards. With another huff, he turned and stormed away, leaving Ian to bask in his own contentment. He'd finally won! He'd never beaten this guy, and now he'd won! He'd have sat there gloating to himself more if the bell hadn't rang.  
_

_--_

_That night, Ian found himself sprawled out on the floor of his bedroom with the Forgotten Toys laid out in front of them. Every one of them was there for him to see. Ann, the Puppet with his ever-present yet creepy grin, the disciplined and scarred Solider, Teddy, the Serpent, and even the little wind-up Reaper. "Thanks guy…," he spoke to them, ignoring the fact that he was addressing cards.  
_

_"And thank you, kid," The voice had startled Ian so bad, he almost leapt straight up the ceiling. He was on his feet at a moment's notice, his head frantically whipping around this way and that to look for where the voice had come from. "Over here, kid…" the voice sighed. Turning towards his bed, he almost fainted from shock at what he was seeing. One of the monsters from his cards, Ann to be exact, was sitting on the edge of his bed with her legs innocently dangling over it!_

_"What the? But you're…you're…"Ian comically sputtered.  
_

_"That's right! I'm Ann!" the little doll called out, waving a small fingerless hand at him. "And I think there's something special about you. That's why we, the Forgotten Toys, are going help you."_

_By now, Ian was sure that he was either dreaming or going insane. But even so, the only thing that came to mind was nodding his head at the doll and blinking owlishly at her. "Seriously?" he asked her incredulously.  
_

_"Yeah, kid! Seriously." The ragdoll smiled, and it somehow assured young Ian that she spoke the truth, and that everything would be great from now on. Boy, he didn't know the half of it!_

--

Which brought Ian back to present times. The words Ann had spoken to him all those years ago now replayed themselves over and over again in his mind, each time more clearly than the last. It was almost enough to make him laugh. Back then, he had felt so sure that the world just became a lot more fun and that he would never ever feel bored or lonely again. The world was his adventure, then.

Unfortunately, he hadn't foreseen his "adventure" getting his wild and crazy. "Heh… And now look at what's going on."Ian thought to himself. "You've got crazy psychos dueling people into comas and talking about world's colliding. And to top it off, my own cards are somehow involved. At least, that's what the crazy psycho says." The words held a hollow ring to them even as he spoke them.

But then, Ian merely shook his head and breathed a sigh as he sat up in his chair. "No." he muttered, countering his own thoughts. Quite frankly, his little trip down memory lane had reminded him of how fun having the Forgotten Toys at his side could be, and what they really meant to him. The time for moping was long gone. "That's enough of that." he said to himself before looking at the corner of desk where Ann once stood.

"Ann."

"What now?" the ragdoll murmured, although she still refused to turn visible for Ian to see.

"When we first met, you said you guys were going to help me."

"Yes, and we still are."

"Then I guess that means I gotta help you then, doesn't it?" Ian smiled as he spoke, and his grin only grew larger as Ann rematerialized on the desk. But this time, the hurt she had was replaced with something else. Hope.

And thus, the day came.

One week after Victor's speech, everyone met up back in the clearing, in the exact spot where they had met Victor last. Why? Because it had been unanimously decided that if Victor was going to show up anywhere, it was going to be here. And now the only thing left to do was to wait and see.

"So, we're all here, eh?" Lee called out as he scanned the crowd. He lightly pointed at each one like he was taking a headcount of sorts, but then stopped short once he had come to the spot beside Ian. "Hey, wait a minute!" Lee exclaimed as he took another count just to be sure he didn't make a mistake. "Where's Aaron? Ian, you're his roommate, right? Where is he?"

"Aaron?" Ian repeated blankly before looking around as well. Sure enough, the person in question was absent. Ian scratched his head a bit in bewilderment before he turned to address Lee again. "I don't know. To be honest, I haven't really talked much with him all week. I think I barely got around to telling him that we were meeting here today before he rushed out the door this morning."

That brought a dissatisfied grunt from Lee as he looked the around the area, almost in hopes that Aaron would come rushing out through them at any moment now. "Well… Victor said he needed all of us." Lee argued. "So he should be here." The comment was made as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Despite the fact that no one had seemed to remember asking Aaron what his take was with all of this. But that was just how Lee's mind worked sometimes.

Mitch, on the other hand, was quick to point out that fact to Lee. "Lee, if Aaron decided he shouldn't' come, then he shouldn't come. This kind of thing probably doesn't leave room for a lot of doubt, you know." Mitch commented idly. He knew just as well as anyone else did that most of the things Victor had told them about were probably true, based on the duels with them and the powers he'd shown thus far. But even so, to believe all that and to _accept a mission_ like this from him were too very different things. Part of him was beginning to wonder whether or not they were all out of their gourds for doing that. "Besides, I can hardly blame him. I still can't believe I decided to go along with this craziness."

"Me neither." Joe agreed. "But I don't see much choice. It's just a fact we'll have to deal with."

But then, before anyone else could speak, a voice from the shadows made itself known and drew the group's attention like moths to a flame. "Well…" Victor answered as he stepped out of the darkness and into plain sight, almost as if he were a living shadow turned solid. "It's good to see you've all got some sense after all."

"Oh, don't start your crap again, buster!" Milly shouted indignantly as she walked straight up to the black-clad duelist and thrust a finger into his chest. "But let's get one thing straight. You and me. We're not friends. End of story. I'm sure the rest of them are more than willing to agree with me on that."

Victor almost seemed to be taken aback by Milly's sudden brazen act, and he blinked almost comically from behind his glasses. But then, the moment was over as quickly as it had begun, and Victor released a chuckle before gently taking Milly's hand into his own and easing her finger away from him. "Fair enough." he smiled grimly. "But, you keep in mind that I didn't do this to win any popularity contests." The bespectacled man replied, his voice turning to ice as he released the blonde girl's hand. "But something needed to get done. Now, if you'll all follow me, we'll ignore the missing attendee and move on to me showing you the next step."

"Wait a sec…"Joe interrupted. "I thought you said you needed everyone. And now you're just…dropping him?"

"Yes." Victor said simply. "It's as your friend said before. There isn't enough room for much doubt in this. But all's well that ends well and all that rubbish." With that, he merely shrugged, but in such a way that it was unsettling and yet funny at the same time. Like a deranged male version of Mary Poppins, in some respects. "So, whatsay we get a move on, eh?" With that, he motioned over towards a spot on the northern edge of the clearing and started to head that way. Everyone else was about to follow silently, and reluctantly, close behind him. But mostly because they still weren't sure whether or not he would suddenly vanish on them once they got deep enough into the woods.

But then….

"WAIT!" a voice called through the trees. "Waaaait!" Everyone looked up with utter surprise, except Victor who only smirked, to see Aaron running from the other side of the clearing. With the way he was huffing and puffing and how red his face was, it almost seemed like he just ran a one-minute mile. Which, given the distance they were from the school, wasn't really all that odd.

"Hey Aaron!" Lee shouted while cheerfully waving an arm. "Get a move on over here, buddy!"

The sight of Lee cheering him on seemed to give the rather timid boy a burst of strength and stamina, and he picked up his speed into a full sprint towards where the group waited. His heart was pounding in his chest, his expression hopeful that he knew he'd made it in time.

But just as he reached the middle of the clearing…

A dark figure in shrouded in a black clothing leapt from shadows and grabbed Aaron almost right out of his shoes. The figure immediately twisted his arm behind his back, making the boy release a frightened cry something cracked ever so ominously. Everyone else that saw it happen was staring with a mixture of shock and anger, and were moving towards the figure to help their friend. Victor, on the other hand, merely stayed where he was and regarded the black robed stranger with a curious tilt of his head.

"Hello there, Victor." the stranger chuckled in a feminine voice. "I knew you were up to something here." Aside from her voice, not much else could be told from her. She was dressed in all black garbs very similar to Victor's, except she had a strange black scarf wrapped around her head to hide her hair and face.

It wasn't until he heard the stranger's voice that his expression lightened humorously. "Oh it's _Aika…_ How are you, dearie? Still working up that sorry excuse for a chain of command? What're you now…? Third from the bottom?" he asked smugly with his arms stuffed casually into his pockets.

"Silence, traitor!" she commanded sharply. "And as for the rest of you…" she seethed sternly at the other duelists. "Move any closer, and I'll break your friend's arm. And proceed to break every other bone in his body before any of you can blink." With that, one of her arms rose to grip the scarf and fling it off to reveal her face. Now that it was gone, everyone could see just how strikingly beautiful she was. She was obviously Japanese, with soft ever so slightly tanned skin and brown almond-shaped eyes. But what the others noticed most about the woman was her hair. It was very long and softly swayed in the wind with a kind of ethereal grace, each strand shining with a copper red color. When her hair settled down, she regarded Victor with a vicious predatory smile. "It seems you've quite the team established here." she commented while motioning to the other duelists.

"Yes, yes, it would appear so." Victor replied easily. But then, his expression changed ever so slightly to a hint of sadness. After all, he knew what her answer would be before he even asked the question. "Aika… You wouldn't mind ditching that crooked self-centered, self-styled "king" and siding with the right people, would you?"

Her reaction was just as Victor surmised it would be. In fact, she seemed to grow infuriated by it. "No, I will not." she spat, as if the very idea disgusted her. "I shall fight for Caius-sama, and win his trust. Then, he'll uphold his end of the bargain for me." She spoke with the faith that rivaled even that of a zealot in most ways, but with the cold determination of one who experienced lots and lots of bloodshed in their lifetime. A very dangerous combination.

Yet, even so, Victor was hardly unnerved by it. "You can't honestly believe that rubbish he told you. You're smarter than that. At least, I thought you were." Victor chuckled sadly, appearing relaxed while the rest were tensely staring at Aika.

Again, the words only seemed to infuriate red-haired woman even more. She let loose a snarl before harshly tossing Aaron to the side as if he were no more than a paper doll, then whipped an arm towards the duel disk she wore on her belt. "I trust in his word, and will defend his ideals!" the woman roared at Victor. "And now we duel. So I can rid him of one without honor such as you."

Victor was about to reach for his own before a voice from another shattered the climatic atmosphere, and shattered it so badly that it drew everyone's attention to him. "Hold it." Mitch interrupted as he moved to stand between Aika and Victor with his hands in the pockets of his jacket. His voice was practically dripping with a quiet and seething fury that almost seemed to rival even Aika's, and his eyes were once again blazing behind his glasses. "First off… I'm not about to let you get away with doing that to Aaron, especially after all that crap you spouted about "ideals" and "honor." Well, I got news for you. If you had any real honor at all, then you wouldn't be betraying your own world and everyone on it! That's not honor, that's _sick_." He shouted those last words, the air ringing with their message and the emotion behind them.

Even Ian was taken aback by the way Mitch was acting. He had never, in all the years that he'd known the guy, seen him get this worked up or this angry. He, and everyone else, could only watch and stare transfixed as his friend lifted his arm with his Duel Disk and bring it in front of him. The machine suddenly whirred to life with a brief flash of its tiny lights, and the single pad on the side of it extended forth and spread out to form the Deck's Zone. Once it had clicked into place, Mitch thrust his arm out and Aika and pointed a single accusing finger at her. "I don't know about everyone else, but I for one am _sick_ standing on the sidelines. If you want a duel, you're going to duel me. Come on… I'll show you true honor!"

For a moment, the only response Mitch got from Aika was a cold silence, but then she nodded once. "Fine…" she answered, though her glare strayed to Victor once. With that, she reached into a pouch hidden beneath her coat and whipped out a deck, which she shoved into the slot the slot of her Duel Disk to activate the contraption. "I'll deal with you first, conspirator. Let's duel!"

Next Chapter: Showdown!


	12. Chapter 12

**--  
**Chapter 12  
**--**For a moment, the only response Mitch got from Aika was a cold silence, but then she nodded once. "Fine…" she answered, though her glare kept straying to Victor throughout the tense atmosphere. However, the moment was broken when she suddenly reached into a pouch hidden beneath her coat and whipped out a deck before inserting it into the slot of her Duel Disk. The contraption whirred to life and extended the card platform from its side. In a way, the sound was just as ominous as the sound of a blade leaving its scabbard. That, and considering the way Aika glared with cold vengeance at Mitch, the Duel Disk she held might as well have been a sword aimed at the boy's throat. "I'll deal with you first, conspirator. Let's duel!"

That was all the encouragement Mitch needed. "Bring it on!" he shouted back in response, his body shifting into a readied stance while his hand flew to the top card of his deck. "_All right…"_ he thought grimly. _"Playtime is over. I'm going to come at you with everything I've got. And I'll make you regret that you ever stooped so low as to betray your own world." _Despite the way they sounded, there was no arrogance behind his words. What fueled him now, what burned behind his glasses as he glared at Aika across the field, was not pride nor hubris, but an unwavering steel resolve to strike her down where she stood. And to do so in the name of all the countless lives she would place in jeopardy if given the chance.

Aika seemed to realize this about Mitch as she grasped onto the front of her black coat with a clenched fist. For a moment, the sneering contempt she wore like a mask faltered before she suddenly whipped off the garment in a grand sweep. Now it was revealed that she had been wearing a traditional shinobi's outfit beneath the coat, complete with a katana on her back and shuriken on her belt. "Hmph…" she muttered while standing up straight, the smirk of contempt look making its way back to her face. "And why not? Let us make this…a duel to the death!" she shouted, shooting her hand straight up into the air. With a quick snap of her fingers, a ring of swirling blackness erupted from the ground surrounding the two duelists. It seemed to shimmer in the starlight as it rose higher and higher, before it finally condensed into a dome of solid shadow.

Mitch recognized this dome right away. After all, he had seen it before just a few days ago.

"This is-" Mitch started, staring all around at the swirling darkness before returning to Aika.

This was the same thing that had trapped both Amy and Ritsuko in their own duel at school. And it was also the same thing that put Amy into a coma.

"Correct, you foolhardy boy…" Aika sneered. "I see you've experienced the dangers of dueling in the shadows. As our Life Points fall, so too will one of us…eventually. Do you still intend to challenge me?" It seemed she was quite confident he'd withdraw his challenge, judging from her tone and darkly confident smile. After all, there wasn't anyone in all the worlds that stood a chance against "Caius-sama" and his power. Even the fool before her now surely must know that after witnessing the dome. Surely he would realize his mistake and lose hope now.

However, it seemed that Mitch had other things in mind. His gaze traveled over the inner surface of the black dome that imprisoned them both with a keenly wary but fearless eye, and the only expression he wore was off pure determination against Aika. "Feh…" he growled when he looked back at Aika. "Now you've given me no choice. If you wish to stake your life on this match, then I'll go with it. But just so you know, I think you're crazy. And whoever is making you do this must be insane to let people wander around with this kind of power."

"Don't talk of Caius-sama like that!" Aika suddenly shouted furiously. However, the fury that radiated from her like heat quickly settled into a smoldering contempt as she drew her first card. "Now watch. I'll start." she glowered at Mitch before glancing at the card she had drawn. "_Insolent boy! I'll you show true strength. True power. True integrity!" _With that, she selected a pair of cards from her hand and quickly placed them face down on her Duel Disk."First, I'll set two facedown cards. Next I summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke to the field. After that, I think this is an easy start for you. Go."

The moment the strange woman uttered the word "Go", an explosion of thick smoke suddenly erupted on her side of the field, concealing her from sight behind a wall of swirling white. However, once it had cleared, it could be seen that she was now no longer alone. A mysterious figure now stood with her, his form still and silent like an ominous statue. Like his name suggested, he appeared a ninja but unlike any one that fit the description in Mitch's mind. He was clad in a sleek and form-fitting silver armor, with a flowing red scarf draped over his shoulder and a green tunic fit tightly over his torso. The four emerald eyes of his helmet seemed to glint maliciously in the moonlight, just as the blades of the kunai he held in each hand did the same, but even more viciously. It was an unsettling sight for Mitch, despite that he already knew the card well before now.

Needless to say, this was already starting to look like trouble. Mitch had a fairly decent idea of how decks with that card in their line-up worked, and if what he was thinking proved true… Then, he would probably be in for a rough time, indeed. "Hmph…" Mitch grumbled as he drew his first card. "_Easy start? No doubt she has something planned. And she's getting so riled up… But maybe I can use that to my advantage."_ he thought gravely, his brow furrowing slightly as he glanced at his card.

However, that was when he only shook his head and muttered a brief sigh. "No." Mitch mumbled to himself as he stood straight up. "No tricks. Not with these cards. If I'm taking her down, I'm going to do it with my own conviction and nothing else." Resolute, he looked up and responded, "It's a fine enough start, but not good enough. After setting one card facedown, I summon Archfiend Soldier to the field."

At that moment, the image of Mitch's chosen card materialized in a brief flash of holographic light. But then, through a vortex of crimson and violet energy on the card's surface, what was contained within the card was unleashed. Little by little, as if ascending from the pits of Pandemonium itself, Archfiend Soldier rose from the card's vortex and came to stand with his sword held at the ready. The cape around his shoulders swayed wildly in the wind stirred by the vortex while the fearsome armor he wore seemed to draw the shadows closer, gaining strength from them and looking perfectly at home within Aika's artificial darkness. The fiendish warrior gave a cursory glance at Mitch from over his shoulder, as if nodding to a secret pledge that only was known to the two of them. Mitch nodded in reply, and then both he and his monster returned their fiercely determined gazes to Aika.

Needless to say, Aika was looking very disgusted with this little development. She would've never had guessed Mitch possessed cards such as that, much less any that could stand a chance against her own. "Archfiends…" Aika spat on the ground, her voice heavy in disgust. "It fits that such traitors would use such loathsome monsters like that."

"Call them what you will. But, it won't matter in the end." Mitch retorted, staring coldly at Aika. "I'm still amazed that you could act so self-righteous and yet be willing to do the unthinkable. How can _you _call them loathsome when you would bring about the worst to our world?"

"That is of no concern to you!" Aika countered venomously. "I need no justification for the end, only resolve."

Mitch couldn't help but openly bristle at the woman's comment. His fist clenched tightly, so tightly that it made his knuckles crack. "You'll need more than that when I'm through with you…" Mitch muttered darkly. Even Archfiend Soldier nodded his assent and then brought his sword up to the side of his head and pointed the blade straight at Aika's heart. Mitch almost seemed to draw confidence from his monster's determination, and then took one card from his hand and promptly slapped it into play. "All right… Now it begins!" he roared suddenly, the sound even causing Aika to flinch ever so slightly. "I equip Archfiend Soldier with the Axe of Despair, which brings his Attack Points to 2900!"

As soon as the command was given, a light that was brighter than the sun yet blacker than night suddenly began to shine from the fiend's sword. He lifted the weapon over his head, then watched its form grow and distort into the shape of a gigantic axe. But then, the shell of black light was shattered, and it was revealed that the axe Archfiend Soldier now held was far more than a mere weapon. The shaft of the axe was not crafted from wood, but from twisted demonic flesh. A single red eye that was situated behind the curved blade blinked all around the area before disturbingly settling on Aika. It was then that a mouth of scraggly yellow teeth opened narrowly to unleash a high-pitched scream of both rage and despair. It was a sound that often shook up other duelists, but Mitch hardly batted an eye to it. There was far too much at stake for him to be frightened of his own cards. As if to stress that, the boy suddenly pointed at Aika and roared once more. "And then I attack! Archfiend Soldier! Cleave her monster in two!"

Archfiend Soldier was all too pleased to do just that. With a mighty war shout, Archfiend Soldier charged into battle, the heavy blade of his Axe of Despair dragging through the dirt and leaving a deep and jagged path like a scar in its wake. But then, at the last moment, the horned warrior's free hand flew to the bottom of the axe's grip, and he swung the weapon as if to cleave Sauce's body and send his upper torso flying.

However…

That was then Aika chose to act. "Not yet…" the mysterious woman retorted triumphantly, her hand sweeping out as one of her facedown cards tilted up to reveal its power. "I reveal a Trap Card! Ninjitsu Art of Decoy! "

As soon as Aika's chosen card was revealed, just before Archfiend Soldier's axe attack struck, both of the Ninja Grandmaster's hands formed into a single hand seal and he disappeared behind a billowing veil of white smoke. But, in his place, now stood a small and very comical wooden figure in the shape akin to a dwarfish treant. Aika couldn't help smirking as she watched Archfiend Soldier cleave uselessly through it, her enjoyment growing when she saw the glimmer of frustration appearing on Mitch's expression. "Your attacks are useless, fool. As long as my Ninja Grandmaster can use this technique, he is invincible to any attack any of your monsters make. No matter how strong they are."

"That may be true." Mitch countered, but with a strangely smug tone in his voice as he looked up at Aika. "But you're forgetting something very important. You left your monster in Attack Mode. That means you're still wide open for some damage!"

What Archfiend Soldier did next was only possible through countless years of training in the arts of war. Continuing the same swing that was used to cut down that frustrating wooden figure, the fiendish warrior leapt towards Aika and swung his axe at her as if he were an airborne top. Though the final strike merely grazed her right flank, the sheer pain behind it was enough to enlighten her as to why the Axe of Despair received its name. When it was all said and done, Archfiend Soldier had retreated back to Mitch's field just as the wooden dummy's two remaining halves disappeared behind another wall of white smoke, only to later reveal the unharmed and still Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke.

And then the miasma arrived. It came slowly at first, like a creeping red fog that pooled around the ankles of the mysterious woman before shrouding her form in a cloud of foul energy. She cried out and fell to her knees once it had fully surrounded her, making her feel like a piece of her soul was being sapped away from her body. Eventually, the miasma retreated to whatever mysterious void it came from, and she managed to stagger back to her feet. She was breathing heavily, her red flowing hair clinging to her damp forehead as she glared hatefully at Mitch.

Mitch Aika  
4000 2900

"It'll take more than that…" Aika began, her voice faltering as she struggled to stand taller. "To put an end to me, you fool. For now it is my turn." But despite the bravado of her words, she knew she had nearly made a costly mistake. While she had managed to save her monster from destruction, it had come at the hefty price of over a quarter of her own Life Points. If she was to win, she would have to increase the pressure on her opponent and quickly. Knowing that, the woman drew her next card and promptly placed it onto her Duel Disk. "I summon Lady Ninja Yae to the field, and then I shall discard one Wind Attribute monster to activate her special ability! Go! Senpuuken! trans. Whirlwind Blade"

As Aika's card flashed into play, a nimble and lithe woman with flowing green hair tied in a bundle at the end leapt gracefully through a small twister of autumn leaves and landed next to Grandmaster Sasuke. Her oddly purple outfit and flowing red scarf marked her as a kunoichi, or a female ninja, and the curved short sword she held in her hand was proof of her experience as one. But then, immediately after making her appearance, the Lady Ninja rose up and pressed the bottom of her sword's handle against her other hand's palm, her eyes closing while a soft green glow came to her blade. But then, with a deadly yet graceful motion, she suddenly swung her sword over the ground and a mighty whirlwind was unleashed from the tip of the blade. It swept over the field in wild and erratic arcs, causing Archfiend Soldier's cloak to whip around his shoulders while Mitch was forced to grit his teeth and shield his face with a raised arm. The fiendish warrior was soon caught within it and the Axe of Despair was torn from his grip and sent wheeling through the air before it faded away from sight. When the winds finally died down, Archfiend Soldier glared coldly at both Aika and the Lady Ninja Yae before moving a hand to the scabbard at his hip as if to it draw his sword, despite that it was now no longer there. But as he did, ribbons of shadow flew from the surrounding darkness and gathered around the fiend's scabbard, forming into a new sword that was just as deadly as the one before.

Of course, that wasn't nearly enough to bother Aika now. No, not at all. She could only watch and smirk at the expressions worn by both Mitch and his monster, her satisfaction growing when she glanced at her field and hand. "And now I reveal my other facedown card: Ninjitsu Art of Transformation. I'll use this to allow Yae-san to transform into something far better equipped to deal with that wretched creature of yours. One like… The Roc from the Valley of Haze!" With a dramatic sweep of her arm, the second of Aika's facedown cards rose up next to where Ninjitsu Art of Decoy sat hovering, revealing an image of the Lady Ninja Yae performing a technique with smoke wreathed around her form. It was a card that Mitch knew well, and one that made his heart sink now.

"This can't be good…" he muttered apprehensively.

His gaze flickered back to where Yae was standing, just in time to witness her performing a long string of hand seals while a cloud of smoke grew all around her and hid her from sight. The cloud grew and grew, almost growing large enough to shroud Aika's entire field in a haze of white. The sounds of something big shifting behind it reached Mitch's ears, which only made the anticipation and dread he was feeling grow as big as the cloud itself. But then, with a mighty flap of great feathered wings, the smoke was blown away to reveal what hid behind it. It was an enormous bird of prey, with the skeletal head of a hawk with horns like a bull's sitting between its massive shoulders and a nest of snakes for a tail.

"Damn it…" Mitch mouthed, realizing what had just happened. "_She lured me out, tricking me into playing strong when she really was holding back! She wanted me to set myself up by leaving my monster face-up…and in Attack Position no less!"_

"I see you realize what true strategy is. You were a fool for thinking you could ever best me." Aika smirked victoriously. That was when she set her sights back on the lone monster standing ready on Mitch's field, and her look of triumphant suddenly turned sharp and hateful. "One who consorts with an Evil like that cannot know true victory! Now! Destroy that blight, my Roc!"

With an ear-splitting shriek, the grand bird flapped its wings once and quickly ascended high into the black sky of the dome. It merely hovered there for a moment, almost as if it were judging the distance between it and Archfiend Soldier like a hungry eagle eyeing a field mouse. But then, it suddenly pulled its wings tightly to its sides and dove straight at its prey. Its talon caught and pinned Archfiend Soldier tightly to the ground cold, even as he struggled mightily and roared at the affront of being in that situation. But then, the Roc opened its jaws and thrusts its beak right into the fiend's shoulder, biting cruelly and flapping its wings as its prey perished in a burst of infernal energy.

It was a sight that made Mitch cringe in both pain and genuine grief, but it was nothing compared to the pain he felt when the miasma came for him. Just like before, he found himself trapped inside the infernal stuff, feeling it enter him through the even the pores of his skin and sapping away at his life. He thought he vaguely heard someone pounding on the dome from the outside, but it did little to comfort him now. He was at fault for his monster's demise, and it was a mistake he would avenge. When the miasma finally left him, he was breathing hard and clutching at his heart as if to make sure that it was still beating, though his glare had never left the mysterious woman standing across from him.

Mitch Aika  
3500 2900

For a small moment, Mitch had that he had granted a reprieve from the pain of the miasma. At least, that was until he heard Aika speak again.

"Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, continue this lesson."

The silent ninja nodded once to Aika's command and took off running at Mitch with his kunai daggers held at the ready. Mitch did his best to ready himself and receive the blow, but such a thing was nearly impossible with the way he was feeling. With blinding speed, both of Sasuke's kunai slashed across the boy's chest in an X-pattern, followed by the ninja silently vaulting away back to Aika's side of the field.

But with the retreat of Sasuke came the return of the infernal miasma, and once again Mitch found himself trapped within its agonizing grip. _"Ahh..!"_ he hissed while he struggled to remain standing. _"It's this barrier! Is this what it was like when Amy and Ritsuko were dueling?" _he thought amidst the pain that assaulted his body and tore at his soul. But even then, he refused to fall. He refused to let this thing beat him again. He refused to let it make him _knee_l_. _Not when he knew that two of his friends had already gone thought his pain. Not when he knew that others may yet still. And certainly not until Aika was defeated. _"No…"_ he seethed at the mist. His legs started to shake as more and more of his essence was drained by the miasma, but he stood tall and strong nonetheless. "I'm still standing, Aika!" he roared at her. "I'm not finished with you yet!"

Mitch Aika  
1700 3100

"Nor am I with you!" Aika shouted back. "You sealed your fate the moment you challenged me. What made you possibly think those evil creatures you possess could defeat the light of my resol-!?"

"_**SHUT UP!"**_

The sudden outburst had caught Aika off guard and visibly shaken her. There was far more power within his voice than Aika had thought he was capable of. He held such anger, such conviction, that Aika found herself visibly shaken by it. _"How is that possible? He is little more than a child!" _But she was looking at now could not be denied. Right before her eyes, she saw that he seemed to be regaining his strength, as if his drive to defeat her was replenishing what the miasma had taken. But above all else, there was one thing that frightened more than anything. It was faint, especially considering the darkness surrounding them, but she could've sworn that she saw a group of six shadows looming directly behind him. Shadows with burning red eyes that pierced right through her very soul. However, it was not their presence itself that disturbed her the most. It was complete and utter lack of evil she sensed from them. Their gazes were neither malicious nor cruel, but merely ominous and foreboding.

"I am so _sick_ of you blabbering on your about this "resolve" you have! And I'm even sicker of you insulting my cards! What do you know about makes something good or evil? I may now know what it is myself, but I do know this. What makes a person truly evil or truly good is not the cards they use, but in how they use them!"

Though Aika would never to admit it, there was something behind the words Mitch spoke now that had reached her. Whether it was true wisdom or the fanaticism of one whose soul was already lost was something she still couldn't tell, but it did inspire one thing within her. For the first time since joining with Lord Caius, Aika found herself questioning her mission. And with that, her vaunted resolve began to waver ever so slightly. "You're wrong…" she whispered, but with a slight shake in her voice.

"Pffft…. Am I? Am I really? Look real hard at you're doing before you tell me I'm wrong." This time the words he spoke were quieter, almost seething through gritted teeth as he placed his hand on the top of his deck once more. "My turn! And I drew the perfect card to deal with this situation. I activate Heavy Storm. I'll answer your breeze from before with a torrent of winds." The spell card flashed into play, sending forth gales from the black sky that blew apart both the Ninjitsu Art of Transformation and the Ninjitsu Art of Decoy. The Roc screeched aloud and flapped mightily against the ferocious ripping winds but ultimately failing. With the Ninjitsu Art that was sustaining it now gone, it had no choice but to be blown away into oblivion.

With Aika's most powerful creature now out of the way, Mitch allowed the briefest flicker of relief to show in his face. "Here's what I say to people like you who arrogantly think that things like good and evil are only black and white." he continued, his words reaching no louder than a determined whisper that spoke right into Aika's soul. "If an angel can fall… Then, why can't a devil rise!? I summon ShadowKnight Archfiend! Followed by the Field Spell, Pandemonium!" he exclaimed, his arm sweeping forward dramatically just as the cards came into play.

From the moment the two cards were played, the scenery inside of the dome began to twist and shift. Skeletal-like ziggurats rose from the earth and surrounded the two duelists on all sides while the black roof of the dome became a "sky" filled with churning negative energy the color of blood and ash. When all was said and done, the two duelists found themselves standing on a circular alter-like structure with a floor patterned after a chess board. Lightning the color of shadows of blood flashed between the hellish clouds overhead, making their new surroundings that much more sinister.

However, while all of that was happening, ShadowKnight Archfiend had just finished rising from a vortex of negative energy on Mitch's side of the field. He was clad in armor that seemed molded onto his body, as if his flesh and bone had intertwined with heavy full plate forged in the Abyss. Hair like azure flame swayed atop the fiend's skeletal head while the devilish wings on his back flexed and spread open, almost as if they were stretching for the intense battles ahead. But the strangest aspect of him was not in how his hands held any weapons, but in that his hands _were_ his weapons. The fiend's right hand was actually the gleaming blade of a long sword, while his left forearm widened grotesquely to form something akin to a large steel shield. Once his feet had touched the ground, the ShadowKnight opened his burning red eyes at the lone monster standing on Aika's field, and then pointed the tip of his sword-arm straight at the ninja's heart.

"With Pandemonium in play, I don't have to worry about the Life Point cost of my Archfiends, but you still have to deal with their presence." Mitch stated triumphantly. At the same time, he reached for another card in his hand and promptly set it down on his Duel Disk. "And let's not forget the Spell Card you returned to my hand a little while ago. I'll equip my ShadowKnight Archfiend with the Axe of Despair you blew away, which will bring his Attack Points up to a grand total of 3000."

ShadowKnight Archfiend lifted his sword-arm straight up and pointed the blade to the red skies, just as a swirl of dark clouds formed directly above him. Bolt after bolt struck the blade of his sword-arm and sheathed it within a cocoon of crackling red lightning, only to then have transform into something else entirely. The cocoon grew longer and wider, the tip of the fiend's blade becoming rounded as a crescent moon-shaped edge extended from the side of it. Then, with a final burst of energy, the cocoon "hatched" and it was seen that the fiend's sword growing from the fiend's wrist had been replaced by the enormous and monstrous head of the Axe of Despair.

Mitch could only smile grimly at this. Now, he was finally feeling like he was back in control of this duel, and he was not about to relinquish again. But then, the smile melted away into the same determined frown from before, and he fixed his gaze upon Aika once more. "Unfortunately, any Battle Damage he inflicts to your Life Points is halved. But even so, he's now more than a match for Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke." At his master's signal, ShadowKnight spread his wings wide and launched himself at the remaining shinobi on Aika's field like a hell born torpedo with the Axe of Despair held high over his head, its huge blade glinting in the flashes of red lightning overhead. The Ninja Grandmaster readied a defense by bringing both of his kunai daggers up, despite that everyone knew it was a futile effort. But then, with a single downward slice of the dread Axe, ShadowKnight cut through not only the defense of Sasuke's twin kunai, but also through Sasuke himself. A tremendous explosion of smoke and dust shook the duel field when the attack hit, and the fiendish knight came darting through the cloud and back to Mitch's field. A faint sheen of red blood coated the Axe's blade, but it quickly disappeared as if absorbed by the Axe like sponge absorbing water.

Mitch Aika  
1700 2300

But, at the moment, the only reaction Aika could have about seeing her only monster cut down so easily was a sharp hiss that came when the bloody miasma returned for her. Just like all the other times it had before, it covered her body completely and drained a little bit more of the life. Aika grit her teeth and shut her eyes tight against the pain burning throughout her body and mind, steeling her nerves so that she didn't sink to one knee either. "I must think of the end result!" she suddenly shouted, throwing her head back to send it to the heavens as if that would dispel the miasma from her. And as strange as it seemed, it apparently worked. The miasma slithered away once it had its fill of Aika's life force, and the woman met Mitch's harsh gaze with one her own that was free of the doubt that once plagued her. For a moment, it was like t a deep sadness shone in her eyes, but it disappeared as soon as she spoke again. "I told myself before that I would pay any price to have my heart's desire fulfilled. And now that I am so close to getting it, I will not let you or anyone else stand in my way." she continued, still just talking, perhaps only to herself.

Mitch couldn't help but marvel a little bit at the fortitude Aika was showing. For someone so dead set on sacrificing an entire world for some scheme, she certainly wasn't acting like a typical villain. He was starting to think there was more at stake in this duel what he was originally thinking. Not knowing all the facts, especially now of all times, bothered him a lot. But, he also knew there wasn't much he could do about it now. The only thing he could do was to keep dueling and see where it all lead. "So you say…" the boy muttered while selecting another card from his hand. "I set one card and end my turn. But still… I'll never agree with you on that. The ends don't justify the means you've chosen. No matter how important your heart's desire may be."

"You…of course you wouldn't agree…" Aika scoffed. "You, who has barely experienced life, can never comprehend the hardships I've had to endure to come this far."

"Even so, does that give you, or anyone, reason to do what you do?"

"Hmph… Don't even bother now, boy. I'm through listening to you." was her only reply as she drew. "It's my turn. And now I'll bring out the true power behind my deck! I summon Lotus Ninja – Kurenai!"

**Lotus Ninja - Kurenai  
FIRE  
Warrior/Effect  
If this card attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, inflict an extra 500 points of Effect Damage to your opponent. If a monster you control attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, you may negate that attack to return that monster to your hand and Special Summon this card.  
****1500/1200**

From the moment the card was played, yet another plume of dark smoke rose from a spot on the woman's field. It was a sight that was nothing new in this duel, but Mitch could tell right away that was something a little different about it this time. For one thing, the amount of smoke was a little bit less than it had been for Aika's other two monsters, and the color of it was a normal dark grey rather than the white smoke that Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke had used. His brow furrowed slightly as he watched the smoke begin to clear, revealing a girl with a red ponytail that appeared to be a little bit younger than he was. That alone was enough to make Mitch blink in surprise, as well to furrow his brow and remind himself not to be caught off guard by appearances alone.

But judging by the outfit she was wearing, Mitch felt he could safely say that she was also a kunoichi like Lady Ninja Yae, but that was about as much as he could tell so far. The first part of her outfit was a sleeveless, almost vest-like, robe that fell to the middle of her thighs with a sash that tied around the waist to keep the robe closed tightly. She also wore a pair of simple and plain arm and leg guards that were a dark brown in color. However, Mitch also noticed that the top of the right arm guard that covered the hand had an etching of a flower symbol, probably a clan insignia if he wasn't mistaken. The only other part Mitch could see were the split-toed tabi socks that ran up to the top of her calves. Other than that, she also didn't appear to be holding any weapons. None that weren't concealed, anyway.

"_Lotus Ninja?"_ Mitch wondered silently. _"I've never heard of cards by that name before. But if they're anything like the other shinobi she's summoned so far, I better keep my guard up."_ But now, Mitch was starting to wonder if that was going to be possible now. He hated to admit it, but he didn't have a clue as to what these "Lotus Ninja" monsters could do, and he had a feeling that the only he would find out would be through the hard way. Mitch felt his jaw begin to clench as he watched Aika continue her turn, his mind reeling to come up with a strategy that possibly save him from whatever trick she had planned.

"I see you're wise enough to be wary of Kurenai-chan." Aika smirked while she placed another card on her Duel Disk. "You see, she and the rest of her clan have a wide variety of abilities that activate whenever they successfully perform a direct attack to your Life Points. For example, Kurenai-chan here has the ability to inflict an extra 500 points of Effect Damage to your Life Points whenever she makes a Direct Attack against you. Granted, that is normally not an easy thing to do in a duel, but I feel I should tell you that it is a simple matter for them. After all, they've spent generation upon generation training in the Ninja Arts and striking at the hearts of evil-doers. And now you'll be the latest one they'll put into an early grave." she continued, her smirk growing wider and oozing confidence.

Mitch, on the other hand, was starting to smirk a bit now himself. From what he'd been able to gather so far, the Lotus Ninja did sound pretty powerful, but only if they could get the chance to launch a direct attack on his Life Points. That, and it didn't sound like they had the ability to do that automatically. "I'll admit that does sounds pretty impressive, Aika." the boy replied smoothly. "But I think you're forgetting something. How can Kurenai hope to attack me directly when I've still got ShadowKnight Archfiend in her way? And at 3000 Attack Points, as well?"

The only reply Mitch got back from her was a condescending chuckle and a sly arch of her eyebrow. "That's simple. I don't intend to have her go near that abomination at all. I activate my Spell Card! Ninjitsu Art of Stealth!"

**Ninjitsu Art of Stealth  
Continuous Spell  
"As long as all of your opponent's monsters are in Attack Position, you may select 1 Level 4 or lower "Lotus Ninja" monster you control during your Main Phase 1. That monster may attack your opponent's Life Points directly. You may not attack with any other monsters this turn and any battle damage is halved.**

With a flashing of pulsing light, a larger version of Aika's chosen card flashed into play and hovered silently within the back row of her field. The card bore an image of a shadowy ninja leaping between the spires of an ancient Japanese castle, his dark form outlined by the light of a full moon as his red scarf trailed silently behind him. Aika smiled broadly with the arrival of her card and she pointed accusingly at ShadowKnight Archfiend. "With this, I can have any one of my Lotus Ninja attack you directly, so long as all of your monsters are in Attack Position. And since you're only monster _is_ in Attack Position…" she smiled wickedly. "Go, Kurenai! Attack him directly and end this once for all!"

What happened next was came so fast, Mitch almost didn't react time. Within the span of a second, Kurenai reached behind her back and withdrew a small and slightly curved knife, then vanished into thin air like she had moved with supersonic speeds. The sudden movement had even caught ShadowKnight Archfiend off guard, whose senses were among the most keen out of all the Archfiends, but even he could not pinpoint his enemy's whereabouts now. But then, almost before Mitch could even blink in surprise, the red-haired kunoichi reappeared in front of him in the same way she had vanished. Her knife flashed as it sliced through the air in a diagonally downward arc, the blade going for his neck to cut him open all the way down to his stomach.

And it almost did, too. At least, it would've if Mitch had reacted at the last possible second.

"I activate Sakuretsu Armor!" Mitch shouted just as one of the facedown cards in his back row revealed itself.

However, right before Kurenai's knife would've pierced Mitch's jugular, a tremendous bellow suddenly shook the field down its core and forced the red-haired kunoichi to pause in her attack and look up at what had made the sound. But when she did, it was plain to both Aika and Mitch that she wished she hadn't. There, looming behind where Mitch stood like a monolith from a nightmare, stood a giant whose body was covered in layer upon layer of broad arrowhead shaped blades of bone. The giant loosed another bellow and lifted one if its enormous fists, then sent it plummeting right on top of where Kurenai was standing. The sheer kinetic force behind that blow was enough to make the ground shake even more as the fist traveled faster and faster, making that it much more frightening to the young and paralyzed with fear kunoichi.

"NO!" Aika suddenly screamed, her hand sweeping forward as if to deflect the giant's rushing fist away from the red-haired kunoichi. "I activate my Ninjas' secondary special effect! I can choose to negate her attack to summon a replacement!"

At the last possible moment before the giant's fist would've smashed her into destruction, Kurenai suddenly threw a small orb the size of a marble at her feet and vanished into thin air when the orb exploded with a flash of light, leaving the giant's fist to smash uselessly at the ground where the red-haired girl once stood. Hatred flashed in the eyes of the giant when he saw that his rightful kill had been denied him, and he suddenly stood tall and threw his head back to unleash a furious roar at the red skies above. The echoes of that roar still lingered even as the giant faded away into whatever strange place he had come from, even as Mitch was now breathing a sigh of relief at being spared defeat.

However, Mitch also hadn't forgotten what Aika had done to save her precious "Kurenai-chan" from oblivion. He looked over at Aika's field and saw that another female ninja had taken the redhead's place. This one appeared to be a little bit older than Kurenai and had long flowing tresses of brown hair. Her outfit was similar to Kurenai's, but with some minor differences. Like her comrade, Kasshoku also sported a short robe with a sash tied around the middle, but it was white with dark purple trim running along the edges. Instead of leg guards and split-toed socks, she simply wore dark stockings that ran all the way up to her upper thighs and tabi sandals on her feet. She also wore armguards that were identical to Kurenai's in every way, right down to the flower symbol etched onto the top of the right hand. Other than that, the only other accessories Mitch could see were a gold-plated headband that she wore around her forehead, rounded shoulder pads, and a katana that she held like a dagger. _"A secondary ability, huh? And one that allows a Lotus Ninja to switch with any others she has in her hand. This could be very troublesome."_ His brow furrowed in thought as he examined the brown-haired girl that stood on Aika's field closely. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend, Aika?"

"I am not obligated to do anything for you." Aika sneered in reply. "But since you asked, I suppose I can tell you this much. This is the Lotus Ninja – Kasshoku, and like her sister Kurenai, she also has a very special ability. She can destroy any facedown cards you control whenever she makes a direct attack against your Life Points." The woman paused to let that little tidbit sink in before she continued. "But unfortunately, I cannot continue my Battle Phase due to the restriction of Ninjitsu Art of Stealth. I'll switch Kasshoku-chan to Defense Position and end with a face-down." Aika smirked more as she watched Kasshoku lower into a defensive stance with her sword held up, but there was still that last lingering trace of anxiety present within her gaze. The shock of almost losing Kurenai like that had obviously taken a bit of the wind out of her sails, which was made known by the slight weariness in her words. However, the woman still knew that the duel was far from over, and if she had anything to say about it, then she would soon be watching that fool plummet into a pit of darkness and pain. How fitting for someone foolish enough to depend on cards like the Archfiends. "_So he was wise enough to prepare a defense against me, hm? Well, he will not best me in strategy!"_

**Lotus Ninja - Kasshoku  
EARTH  
**

**  
ATK/DEF: 1600/1500**

**  
Warrior/Effect  
If this card attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, you may destroy one face-down card your opponent controls. If a monster you control attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, you may negate that attack to return that monster to your hand and Special Summon this card.**

At the same time, Mitch drew his card and then studied Aika's field closely before making his move. "_She's probably already a couple steps ahead, even with that trap. And my hand… I've got two now thanks to my draw. Will it be enough?"_ That was the million dollar question right now. Part of him was already beginning to wonder if those Lotus Ninja had any _other_ abilities that Aika was hiding from him. And those two face-down cards on her field weren't doing much to settle his thoughts either. His brow furrowed again as he glanced at his cards. _"Hmm..._ _This should work wonders against any other effects Kasshoku may have. But that Trap is still the biggest problem. Well, no matter… I won't be going anywhere if I just hold back and wait for Aika to show me what it is."_ Knowing that, Mitch took a deep and soothing breath, then fixed his gaze on Aika. "All right... Since I control another Archfiend on the field, I'm allowed to bring out the best one yet. I summon TerrorKing Archfiend to the field."

Right then and there, it was as if the red sky had been torn apart. Flashes of hellish lightning lit up the clouds while the thunder came in deafening booms. A single bolt suddenly came streaking down and stuck at a spot next to where ShadowKnight Archfiend stood, which was then torn open by a now familiar vortex of swirling purples and blacks. Then, with an infernal poise and dark majesty, the true king of the Archfiends rose from the vortex and took his place beside his loyal knight. He was perhaps only a little bit taller than ShadowKnight, but his power was made obvious by the sheer amount of bulk his muscles commanded. The cloak beneath his wings rustled lightly in the breeze of the fading vortex, the tip of the wicked sword he held glinting ever so slightly. But, it would seem that the sword was only for show. The semi-skeletal TerrorKing uttered a derisive "Hmph!" as he stabbed the blade into the ground at his feet with his clawed hands resting on the pommel.

Even Aika found herself silently dreading the presence of the symbol of Mitch's deck, but it was a short-lived moment that ended with an equally derisive snort of her own. "So now your true centerpiece of villainy makes an entrance."

"Oh, give it up already." Mitch growled in reply. "Your taunts haven't worked from the start, so why would they now? It won't stop me, and it _certainly_ won't stop them." he finished while gesturing to the two fearsome devils standing on his field. "And I'll prove it with this. TerrorKing! Attack with Hell Wasp Swarm and shred that ninja to ribbons!"

Heeding his words, TerrorKing suddenly gripped his sword and yanked it from the ground, but it seemed that he had no intention of using it. Instead, the devil king drew his arms back and thrust his chest forward, splitting it open down the middle like the doors of a twisted cupboard! A cloud of infernal insects issued forth from the gaping maw in the devil's chest, the sound of their tiny wings buzzing in the air like a million blades. The swarm converged on where Kasshoku sat prepared to take the brunt of the assault, but Mitch had a feeling that it wasn't going to be this easy.

Then, as if to confirm his thoughts, Aika suddenly smiled widely and laughed. "Bugs? Ha! I will see those pests easily destroyed. I activate my facedown, which is a second Ninjitsu Art of Transformation. Kasshoku! Transform into the Defender of the Forest! The Green Baboon!"

With her spoken command, Kasshoku brought her hands together in a series of complicated hand seals and a thick smoke once again suddenly rose up and swallowed the ninja whole. But as soon as it did, a sound like the roar of a beast and the shout of a man screamed from behind the swirling wall, followed by a huge and hairy arm wielding a club bursting from the smoke and slamming the ground in front of the approaching swarm. The impact was enough to blow away the smoke and reveal the monster that hid behind, which turned out to be a giant ape-like creature that was covered in wooden armor and strange green hair. The beast-man let out a tremendous war whoop as it slammed its club on the ground again, now obviously agitated by the buzzing insects surrounding it.

Once again, Mitch found himself almost not reacting in time. "Gah!" he shouted hurriedly, stretching a hand towards TerrorKing. "Quick! Stop!"

Had the command come one second later, TerrorKing would've definitely been smashed by the enraged and equally strange Green Baboon's giant club. However, he sensed the danger that Mitch did as well, and then replied with a curt nod before quickly tightening his muscles to close the cavity in his chest. The swarm was cut off from their source, so the most they could do was idly buzz around the ape-man's head before flying away.

Mitch was so relieved that he couldn't help but wipe at his brow and heave a soft but annoyed sigh. "_That was close…too close." _he thought while studying Aika's newest monster._ "Every time I think I've gained the edge, she throws it right back at me! Still…my field is fuller…And ShadowKnight still has more Attack Points than that Green Baboon. My only concern is just that last Trap she's got."_ Mitch knew that the sensible thing to do would be to end his turn and hold back until he could see what Aika had planned, but he also that it wasn't the right thing to do. As long as he kept up the pressure on her, she'd eventually fall apart sooner or later. And he had a huge chance to destroy that big ape before it became a problem later. To him, the choice was obvious. "Nice try, you almost got me. But it wasn't good enough. I attack with ShadowKnight!"

"Wrong again!" crowed Aika. "I activate my second Trap! Kunai with Chain! Not only does it raise my Green Baboon to 3100 Attack Points, but it also forces one of your monsters to switch to Defense Position. And just to save trouble… I select ShadowKnight Archfiend!"

As soon as the Trap revealed itself, the massive club in the Green Baboon's hand suddenly transformed into a huge blade that was attached to a chain. The shape of the blade was very odd, possessing two curved points on one side and a wedge-shaped edge on another. The chain itself was wrapped tightly around one of the beast-man's forearms while he wildly swung his new weapon over his head and threw it at ShadowKnight before he could even move. The chain rapidly coiled around his entire body like an iron vine, pinning his arms to his side and his wings to his back. Then, with yet another war whoop, Green Baboon tugged mightily on the chain and sent the now entangled ShadowKnight falling to the ground and landing on his side

By now, Mitch knew there was absolutely nothing left he could do now. That is, except wait for Aika to begin her turn and hope that he found a way to turn this around. "I end my turn." he seethed quietly. As he spoke the words, his gaze flickered between the fallen ShadowKnight and Aika, a mixture of anguish and anger burning behind his glasses.

"Ha!" Aika mocked. "Just as I thought. I knew you'd buckle under pressure. Your kind has no will, no ability to see through anything. But it matters not, because it's time for your end. I will summon a second Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke." she said with a confident yet cruel smile as another silver-clad shinobi flashed into play.

"And you'll spring _my_ Trap!" Mitch interrupted smugly. "I activate Torrential Tribute, which unleashes a flood to destroy all monsters on the field!"

This time it was Mitch's Trap that sprang to life. As soon as it did, a tsunami of dark waters surged from the card and covered the field with a thunderous crash. Within an instant, all three of the monsters on the field had been crushed beneath the pounding waves and were swept into the deep unknown of Pandemonium's waters.

The tides twisted and churned for a moment longer before they finally started to recede, much to Aika's displeasure when she saw the space where Green Baboon once occupied. "Hmph…" the woman growled. "I concede this turn to you." Her ire was unmistakable, and Mitch was sure that she'd kill him ten times over if she ever gained the chance. However, it would seem that her ire was bound to grow at this moment. For as the waters continued draining away, she happened to notice a familiar pair of leathery wings poke through the surface of the waves, followed by a skeletal-face with burning eyes and a crown of bone and flesh that was actually a part of his head. Somehow, whether by some miracle or pact with the devil, the TerrorKing Archfiend still remained even as the waters of Torrential Tribute swirled around his ankles and drained away. "WHAT!?" Aika exclaimed furiously. "How is that possible!? I saw that monster destroyed!"

"Of course, you did. That _is_ what Torrential Tribute does, after all. Ya know, destroy things and all that…" Mitch replied, a devilish smirk playing across his lips. "I just didn't want to let him _stay_ destroyed." Reaching forward towards his Duel Disk, he picked up a single card out of his Graveyard and showed it to Aika. It was a card of yet another Archfiend, but the most bizarre-looking by far. While it still retained the same skeletal countenance of its brethren, its body was hardly anything like the others'. In a twisted way, it resembled something like a living castle tower, but with a set of four bone-plated tentacles crawling from the bottom. "I tossed my DesRook Archfiend and activated its ability just in time to save TerrorKing from a watery grave, so to speak."

There had only been one other time in Aika's life that she had ever been angry enough to truly kill a person along with their whole family. Such emotion was considered shameful among her clan, mainly because it lead to straying from the path of order and discipline that a shinobi had to follow. The first time had been when she had met and dueled Victor for the first time under Lord Caius's instruction. Who wouldn't be angry after suffering his insufferable joking and pranks? But now… This…boy… This little fool… Had proven to be much more of an obstacle than Aika had ever thought he could be. Once again, she found herself beginning to wonder about the true nature of the cards Mitch possessed. They held none of the hatred and battle mania that others of their kind were possessed by, but instead she could only sense discipline and determination within their gazes. They were unlike any other demons or devils she had ever seen before. _"No… I must stop thinking about that."_ Aika admonished herself. "_I will no longer let them stand in my way. I have worked too hard and for too long to let this… child and his pet devils defeat me."_

With that thought in mind, Aika gave Mitch a glare that sent daggers right into his heart and then selected another pair of cards and set them facedown. "I'll set these two cards facedown." she declared as the cards materialized onto her field. "And then, I'll finish my turn by resurrecting Lotus Ninja - Kasshoku with Premature Burial."

Mitch Aika  
1700 2300

All of the sudden, the ground at Aika's quaked and a small chasm split the earth like a great mouth opening wide to devour everything. From that chasm sprang a lithe and shadowy form, one that landed gracefully with a katana drawn and held like a dagger. Mitch immediately recognized Kasshoku's chocolate brown hair and flashing sword, but her presence now had him confused. _"Why did she bring her back? Why not something stronger like the Roc or Green Baboon? She won't stand a chance against TerrorKing's Attack Points."_ Yet, despite everything that Mitch knew made sense, he couldn't deny that he was indeed looking at the same young kunoichi that had been transformed into the Green Baboon only a few minutes ago. "_Why?_" he mused silently.

"You'll see…" was Aika's only response.

NC: Clashing Beliefs and a Battle of Wits!


	13. Chapter 13

**--**  
Chapter 13  
**--**

Meanwhile…. The air outside of the dome was getting so thick, one could cut it with a knife. Amy was pacing relentlessly around the dome while the others stood by with anxious looks, her worried expression constantly glancing at its black surface in the hopes of seeing through it. But, no matter how many times she tried to look through it, the most she could make out were moving black shapes as the faint sounds of a battle mixed with hellish screams and roars faintly come through the dome. But the worst part for her was not being able to tell who was making those nightmarish sounds. And whether or not she was too scared to root for them.

"Hmph…" Victor casually chuckled, a hand lifting to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "From the sounds of it, I'd say dear Aika is giving her all. As is our friend, Mitch." He chuckled again to himself as he squatted down into a comfortable sitting position and began digging through his pockets.

"How can you be so calm?!" Amy shouted, turning away from the barrier just briefly enough to flash an angry expression his direction before continuing her search.

"What else do you think we can do?" Victor replied nonchalantly.

"Well…" Ian interrupted, cutting in before Amy could say something she'd regret later. "What she means to say is…well, shouldn't you be concerned for Mitch? I mean, you did say you needed all of us?"

Victor sniffed dismissively at the question. "Yes, but only a select few of you are _truly_ needed. The rest are spares." he answered, just as he withdrew something out of his pocket. It seemed to be a notepad, which he flipped through rapidly before stopping at whatever it was he needed to find.

This time it was Ian who lost his cool first. "Spares!?" Ian exclaimed. Part of him knew better to than to be surprised at Victor's answer, but even so… Well, no one took kindly to being compared to something like a spare tire, no matter how cynical you thought you were. Ian's eyes flashed dangerously at Victor as he turned to face him, his fist clenching tightly at his side. "How…how…is this any way you want to treat fri…" But then, Ian caught himself and his expression darkened even more. "No… I can't even think that. You don't consider us friends. You barely consider us allies, don't you?"

"Nailed it." Victor chuckled with that carefree smiled that never failed to piss Ian off. "You're smarter than you look." With that, he rose from his seat and started to idly make his way towards the dome, his writing hand busily taking notes as if he were studying the dome and the events taking place within it.

Ian's angry glare followed every step the taller man took. "You heartless sonuva…" Ian started, "How can you think of people that way? People who you want to help you in fact!?"

In response, Victor merely smiled and turned towards Ian. Then, with a movement that was too fast to really see, Victor had seized Ian by the neck and thrust his body against the translucent but very solid surface of the dome. "Make no mistake." Victor snarled in a low voice, the lenses of his glasses shining eerily in the sunlight. "I will sacrifice each and every one of you for the completion of my mission. No matter what it takes, the Monarchs must be stopped. It's as simple as that. For that goal…you are all… _expendable_." After finishing the last word, Victor dropped Ian back to the ground and returned to his previous spot, the smile never once having left his face.

Despite the fact that he was still furious at Victor, Ian was still in complete shock over how fast the man could move. He knew he dared not to say anything else that might earn him another thrashing. For now, at least. It wasn't until Joe came over to help him up that he realized he'd been staring. "You sure we can trust this guy?" Joe asked as he glanced warily over his shoulder at Victor.

"No. But what choice do we have?" Ian grumbled. It was the truth too. He'd want nothing more than to ignore the problems of other people. Hell, he had enough of his own; most of this group did in fact. But this was too big to be ignored. "_Yet, sometimes I wonder_…"

Ian had never been the type to stand up for…well, anything. He'd always let causes pass him by, considering them to be a nuisance instead. Why get worked up for something when it really won't make any difference half the time? So many of these causes were just a load of absolute nothingness. That's what he had thought for all of his life. At least… until he'd met the Forgotten Toys. Then he had something to fight for. After their meeting, it became the closest thing Ian had to a real goal. He'd make the Toys feel wanted, and prove their worth.

_"Is that why I'm doing this"?_ Ian thought to himself, his hand going to the deck case strapped to his belt. "_Am I trying this whole "save the world" thing just to prove what the Toys are capable of?"_ The more Ian thought of it, the more he realized…he didn't have an answer. "Guess I'll have to find out for myself."

"What was that?" Victor called out suddenly.

"Huh?" Ian answered, stunned that Victor was paying attention, let alone being able to hear him at all. "Oh… Nothing."

"I'm sure." Victor smirked. The smile looked just the same as before, but was different all the same. As if…Victor was reading Ian's thoughts. "_Just who _is_ this guy?_ the boy thought. "_Is everyone from the Duel Monster's realm like this?"_

--

Mitch Aika

1700 2300

Back in the dome, Mitch was thinking along similar lines towards his opponent. "_Is every duelist from that other world this strong?"_ He hoped it wasn't true, for if it was than this would be much worse than he'd previously thought.

Even now, she tested his determination. With the summoning of Lotus Ninja - Kasshoku with Premature Burial instead of something stronger, Mitch's senses were definitely on high alert. "_I need to do something about her two facedown cards. That's how she's been getting me so far."_ After checking his Life Points, Mitch drew to signal the start of his turn. "_And summoning a monster with 400 fewer Attack Points than TerrorKing… That's a ploy if I ever saw one. She's trying to bait me again._" Another few links were added to the chain of thought as he glanced at the cards he held in his hand. _"It's not her monsters themselves that are getting me, but the cards she using to bring them out and protect them. I've got to plan my moves carefully from now on."_ Unfortunately for him, it seemed that his hand didn't have anything useful for dealing with Aika's face-down cards. On the other hand… Maybe he could use that to his advantage and turn her ego against her. It was worth a shot, considering the predicament he was already in.

"I'll summon VilePawn Archfiend." Mitch declared as he placed the chosen card onto his Duel Disk. At the same time, another vortex of infernal energies opened up on his side of the field and brought yet another of the skeletal-like Archfiends into existence, only this one seemed to be smaller than the fearsome King who stood next to him. Like ShadowKnight, the creature's right arm ended in a malformed blade while the other broadened into a kind of shield of devilish flesh and bone. A foot soldier, and nothing more. Yet, the minor devil's crimson gaze held the same kind of eerie discipline and unwavering determination that all of its predecessors had shown thus far. Something that still continued to irritate and unsettle Aika.

Knowing that this was the best he could do for now, and since he didn't dare attack Aika until he could do something about those two face-down cards in her back row, Mitch let his hand fall away from his duel disk and hang at his side. "I'll end my turn." He finished quietly, though his gaze still glared unwavering at Aika.

"Taking the cautious route, eh?" sneered Aika. "A wise tactic, but too late for you!" As she drew her card, her smile grew even more confident. "Excellent. I was hoping to save this for later, but it shall serve me well now." With that, she quickly held out the card she had just drawn for Mitch to see and then slammed it onto her Duel Disk, along with two other cards. "I activate Double Summon! And I'll use its power to summon both Lotus Ninja – Aoi and Midorii to the field!" she declared with a sweep of her arm, just as a larger copy of the Spell she played materialized in front of her, followed by a pair of human-sized smoke clouds that barely concealed two lithe figures within them. Mitch could watch in slight amazement as they stepped forth through the smoke, revealing their true natures and dark intent.

The first, presumably Aoi as Mitch thought, was a girl around Kasshoku's age with bright blue eyes and mid-length hair the color of a river at night. She held a sort of naïve innocence in her posture, but somehow also managed to convey the same determination as her other companions had. Her clothing seemed to be an odd cross of a kunoichi's short minazuki robe and a priestess's flowing garments. The white sleeves could nearly touch the ground if the girl were to let her arms hang at her side. She also wore a pair of dark blue stockings that ran up to the middle of each thigh, the edges traced with graceful sigils in golden thread. On her feet, she wore only a pair of simple sandals. And in her hands, she held only a small piece of paper that held intricate designs and kanji.

The second, which was obviously Midorii, was actually a young man that was perhaps a year or two older than the two female ninja he stood with. He carried an air of aloofness in his gaze, which was a brilliant that seemed to sparkle like emeralds in the faint light of Pandemonium's sky. A mop of tousled blonde hair sat atop his head as he cast a disinterested gaze towards the two Archfiends on Mitch's field, chew the end of a long toothpick before spitting it out. He wore a typical male ninja's attire, complete with a fishnet undershirt beneath his ragged vest-like shirt. His only weapon appeared to be a long katana that he leaned on with his elbow. Other than that, the only other distinguishing marking was a tattoo of a strange green flame on his right arm.

**Lotus Ninja - Aoi**  
**WATER**

**Warrior/Effect**  
**If this card attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, you may draw 1 card at the end of the Damage Step. If a monster you control attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, you may negate that attack to return that monster to your hand and Special Summon this card.**  
**1200/1200**

**Lotus Ninja - Midorii**  
**WIND**

**Warrior/Effect**  
**If this card attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, your opponent must discard 1 card from their hand to the Graveyard. If a monster you control attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, you may negate that attack to return that monster to your hand and Special Summon this card.**  
**1400/1100**

Aika could only place a hand on her hip and smirk coyly at Mitch. Her voice practically dripped with self-assurance as surveyed the forces at Mitch's command and found them to be lacking compared to her own. But even so, there was still that voice in the back of her mind that told her to be wary of him, so her smile seemed to falter as she spoke. "Unfortunately, my Ninjitsu Art of Stealth only allows me to attack you directly once per turn. But it's a mercy that won't save you! Aoi-chan!" she suddenly commanded the younger of the two female ninja. "Strike at him directly with the Spell of Evil Sealing!"

The movement was so fast that there was no way Mitch could see all of it. In a flash, Aoi was gone and VilePawn was only just lifting his shield-arm to block the way, even it if was only futile effort. But then, before either Mitch or the Archfiends could react, the sapphire-haired kunoichi materialized from nowhere directly in front of him and one of her paper seals over his heart. Blue energy crackled from the paper and coiled over his body in searing arcs, an agonized yell bursting through his lips as the stench of burning cloth filled his nose. The miasma followed a moment after, coiling around the boy's feet and enshrouding in another stinging embrace that left him drained and sluggish. Thankfully, the agony hadn't lasted long since the Life Point loss was a small amount. Not that it mattered much in the long run of the duel. _"If this keeps up, I'm done for."_ thought Mitch as fireworks exploded in his head. _"There's got to be a way to turn this duel around."_

Mitch Aika

1100 2300

Meanwhile, Aika was drinking in her little victory like it was a fine brew. One hand found its way to her hip as she smiled at Mitch in that coy yet venomous way she had, giving a brief nod of approval to Aoi when she hopped back to her spot beside Kasshoku and Midorii. "She may be young, but she is a willful girl." Aika chuckled as Aoi hopped back to her field. "And thanks to her ability, I get to draw one extra card." With that, the woman placed her hand on her deck and did just that, smiling serenely as she brought the card up to her eyes. "Excellent." she said before flitting her eyes to Mitch. "Your move."

_"Yeah…"_ thought Mitch as he drew his card. _"I just hope something good comes of it."_ Unfortunately, a quick glance at the drawn card revealed that luck still wasn't on his side. "Damn it…" he growled under his breath while he placed it into his hand, his eyes scanning the field and assessing the situation. _"I've got four cards and none of them can do anything about those cards in Aika's back row. If I don't attack, she'll just keep picking at my Life Points until I'm gone. And if I do, I run the risk of slamming head first into another one of her Traps. Like that Kunai with Chain and that Ninjitsu Art of Transformation from earlier…"_ Mitch cringed lightly at the memory of the trouble those two cards alone had given him. If only this had been a battle of pure strength, then there wouldn't have been a doubt in Mitch's mind that the Archfiends would've triumphed by now. Unfortunately, this was anything _but_ that kind of a battle. The whooping she was giving him proved that rather well. Aika had already proven to him that she was a master of manipulating her opponent's movements to her advantage, whether it was making them afraid to attack or bait them into a trap when they choose to.

Mitch's eyebrow furrowed as he considered the possible outcomes of what could happen if he did choose to attack. The chances of that facedown card in Aika's back row being another Ninjitsu Art of Transformation was slim, but he also had to consider the uncanny ability she possessed for getting them exactly when she needed them. _"Then again… What if it is? Maybe I can turn that around against her. If I can get what I need to do it, that is. But until then…"_

"I'll switch VilePawn Archfiend into Defense Position and set one card." Mitch declared with a gesture towards the smaller fiend. With a curt nod towards his master, VilePawn slowly knelt down and crossed his shield and sword-arms before him. "That is all." finished Mitch. _"At least I won't have to worry about a Direct Attack now." _That was assuming, of course, that Aika didn't have something else in store for him.

The frown the woman was showing seemed to show him otherwise, though. "Is that all?" she asked dryly. "You're correct in thinking that I'm unable to attack you directly with the aid of my Spell, but do you really think that pawn's meager defense will really make a difference?" The words bore a sharpness that seemed reserve for an older sibling berating a little brother's foolish actions, which was strange to Mitch on multiple levels. After sighing lightly and shaking her head, she continued on and drew her next card as if the duel was simply now nothing but a waste of time. "I suppose… Although, I really had been expecting a lot more from you after the bravado you displayed earlier. Or perhaps you're realizing that it's pointless now." she continued with a predatory grin. "I acknowledge that you are a skilled duelist, but the power you have gained by selling your soul to evil, regardless if your intentions are not, is nothing but a-"

"Is that what you think?" Mitch interjected suddenly. "You honestly think that I've sold my soul to become stronger? Lady, you're even more dense than I thought you were." This time it was Mitch who acted insulted. His posture, which had been weakened by the miasma previously, suddenly stood ram-rod straight and his eyes met with Aika's unflinchingly. The fatigue and stress of the duel was still there, but now he simply disregarded it, refusing to acknowledge that it even existed now. It was like he had simply bottled it all up and shelved it away in some far away pantry within the back of his mind. "You may refuse to believe it, but I've done no such thing. Everything you've seen so far is the result of my own skill and the _trust_ I have in my cards. Then again, I can understand why you would want to think that, rather than acknowledging that some _kid_ has been giving you this much trouble."

His words seemed to surprise Aika. She blinked at his words as if she were dumbfounded by what he was saying, but then her face only contorted into another mask of indignant fury. "You think me blind to what my eyes see, boy!? They are evil creatures, no matter how you label them! If what you 'claim' is really true, then why do you still consort with those foul devils?"

Silence blanketed the arena. The red clouds of Pandemonium continued to swirl high above the two duelists while brief flashes of eldritch lightning lit up the sky, highlighting the shadows all around them. Somehow Aika's question had sounded like the most absurd thing he had ever heard. Why did he consort with them? The answer should've been as plain as the sword on her back. The corners of his lips twitched into a tiny smile as he thought about how "blind" she really was, as she put it. He could still remember the very first time he had ever laid eyes upon the Archfiends. It had been the moment in his life when he had decided to take up dueling seriously. It also been the moment when he realized that the lines between what was good and what was evil was not so clear as people thought.

--

_  
i It all started several years ago. Back when he was just another middle school student trying to survive the school day and go home without too many bruises to show for it. _

/i

_He was never what most people would call exceptional. Just a tiny smidgen above average. In fact, despite his size, he was usually the one that slipped by under the radar most of the time. He was one of the taller kids in his class, nothing too special except a quiet and independent nature and a desire to go home at the end of the day like everyone else. He was well-liked by most everyone, but he never had that many close friends. In fact, most thought of him as a good-natured loner who loved to read his books. His favorite ones were always about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. He loved to fantasize about what it would be like to wear that armor and to be called a true Knight of the Round._

_Perhaps that was why he did some of the things he did._

_Throughout his entire school career, he had never once started a fight. But he had certainly _finished_ a lot of them. Seeing a person beat up or picked on for no good reason was one of the few things in life that could tick him off. It was one of the most disgusting and arrogant things that a person could do to someone else, and he could never figure out the attraction it had for some. But then, he always figured he didn't need to understand that in order to do something about it. And since there quite a lot of bullies at his school, he had work his work cut out for him. But through it all, he had never once sought acknowledgement for his deeds. That was just the type of person he was. He did it for no other reason other than that it was the right thing to do, and that he had ability to actually do it. He needed no reward or even recognition for his deeds. The way he always figured… Well, if he didn't do anything, then the bullies would have free reign over the school and everyone would be miserable. And if he didn't do it… Well then, who would?_

_It was on a chilly autumn night, the eve of Halloween, that his resolve would be put to the strongest test he had ever faced. He had been on his way home from the movie theater after watching the latest Halloween horror/adventure flick, a low-budget film about how a reformed devil sought to seal a fallen angel into an ancient coin and prevent the coming Apocalypse, or something like that. It was a strange tale, but one that also intrigued him. How could a devil be a good guy? Why would he even care about stopping the destruction of the world? And even more interesting… was it really the honor code of the mortal knight who defeated him that changed him? All these questions and more were running rampant through the boy's head as he turned the corner away from the theater and started on the road home._  
_  
i That was when he heard the scream. A real scream, not like the kind you hear in movies. But a real scared-to-death shriek that sent shivers down your spine and echoed in your ears. It came from an alley across the street from where Mitch was standing, and as he turned to look, he could see dim lights flashing and a shadow that writhed in agony. Mitch's first instinct had been to bolt and put as much distance between himself and the terrors of that alley as humanly possible, but a sudden thought made him pause. Someone was in trouble, and in pain, and they needed help. And whether he liked it or not, Mitch was in the right place to give it. Maybe it was pride that made him go, or maybe it was the foolishness of youth, but the next he knew he was rushing for that alley as fast as his long legs could carry him._

/i

_And when he got there, he almost wished that he hadn't. There, standing beside the flickering light of a barrel fire was a duelist wearing a mask with a broad-rim hat and a long black coat. Mitch recognized him almost immediately from the hushed rumors circulating around the city. Rumors that spoke of a duelist bent on collecting the most powerful cards he could find and then selling them for profit on the black market. By any means necessary. The Shadow Duelist known as Titan. In front of him… hovering silently with brimstone burning in their gazes… was TerrorKing Archfiend and InfernalQueen Archfiend. And laying before them all in an unconscious heap was a girl Mitch recognized from school. Her cards laid strewn about all over the ground while a spiked shackle around her neck sparked with crimson electricity. Pain Bracers. Tools that shocked the body with dangerous amounts of electricity whenever the duelist suffered Life Point loss. They were illegal in sanctioned dueling, yet they somehow still managed to worm their way into the underworld dueling leagues. And Titan had used them on a child._

_This was something Mitch could never ignore. _

_So he challenged Titan right then and there. Whether or not he could actually win against such an opponent had never crossed the boy's mind. All that mattered was that he took this sucker down before someone else wound up hurt like his classmate, and he would do so no matter the cost. Titan answered his challenge with only a gale of mocking laughter. It was a sound that stirred Mitch's hatred for that man and others like him like nothing before. That laughter stirred something inside of him, something to drown out the fear that made his body shake and replace it with total focus and a relentless intent. _

_And so began their duel._

_Never in his life had Mitch felt such pain. Bolts of energy streamed from the shackles around his neck and coursed throughout his body, lighting his every nerve with crackling agony every time he lost Life Points. With every strike Mitch delivered to his opponent, Titan and the Archfiends answered right back with another. Blow upon blow rained down upon both duelists until both of them only possessed a few meager Life Points, their bodies wracked with fatigue and breathing hard. But in the end, it was Mitch who prevailed. He focused that pain, reminding himself that this was exactly what his classmate and countless others had felt at this man's hand, and turned it into a source of power to draw renewed strength. He drew his final card, Fusion Summoned the Ryu Senshi by fusing together the Warrior Dai Grepher and Spirit Ryu, and then delivered the final blow with a slash of Ryu Senshi's dual-bladed sword. _

_The duel was over. Titan was defeated._

_When all was said and done, Titan simply couldn't handle the defeat and blamed his loss upon his cards rather than his reliance on dirty tricks and unfair advantages. Then, without warning, Titan suddenly removed his Duel Disk and threw at the barrel fire burning beside him, calling them worthless and beneath him. _

_In that moment, it was as if Mitch's body had reacted on his own. The next thing he knew, he was running after the flying Duel Disk and had barely managed to catch it just after the first tongues of flame had licked the underside of the device. The cards themselves were safe, but he had no idea why had cared about that. In fact, he realized that he should've been more concerned about showing his back to a treacherous criminal and risking a surprise attack. Yet when he turned around towards where Titan had been standing, he had found that he was no longer there. He had vanished without a trace. All that remained was Mitch, the unconscious girl Titan had previously dueled, and the Archfiends still tucked away within their Duel Disk. _

_To this day, he still has no clear idea as to why he bothered saving them from the fire. Perhaps it was outrage for a how a duelist could treat their cards so callously, or perhaps it was because he sensed something more from them during their duel. All he does know is that when he removed that deck he felt… something. Something like a great anger mixed with an even greater emptiness. He turned the top card over and saw that it was TerrorKing looking back at him, and the feeling grew even more intensely. He thought he could almost see that hollowness reflected in the card's gaze. And then… for reasons that still baffle him… the movie that he had seen only a short time ago suddenly came back into his thoughts. He thought of the devil, of the mortal knight who had defeated and then reformed that winged terror, and how such a thing was just too fantastic to believe. But then again… Perhaps there was more to these cards than even Titan was aware of. Perhaps this was simply meant to be. "I have defeated you, Archfiends." Mitch spoke softly to the cards. "And now, I claim you as my own."_

_For a moment, it was almost like Mitch had heard a grunt of acknowledge within his mind. But then it was gone as soon as he realized that. Not that it mattered much, anyhow. He still that poor girl to a hospital, and the sooner the better. So with that, Mitch ventured towards where she lay and hoisted one of her arms around his shoulders, and then trudged off towards the nearest hospital. But even as he did that, Mitch couldn't quite shake the vision of the TerrorKing's card when he had turned it over. Nor could he shake the feeling that TerrorKing had been looking back at him._

--

And with that, Mitch was back in the present. The silence in the arena felt almost smothering, but the smile Mitch wore seemed as calm and complacent as ever, the weight of Aika's question doing nothing to mar it. He almost seemed to enjoy it, in fact. For one who thought she was much more enlightened than her opponent, she certainly did get riled up easily. Mitch wasn't exactly the most peaceful one in situations like this, but the way she was acting seemed more clownish to him than dignified. It was then, just when he noted that the woman's tension couldn't spike any higher, that he spoke his answer. "I do it because I believe in them." he replied softly. "And I do it because they believe in me."

Such conviction had never before graced Aika's ears, and she found herself staring with wide-eyes at the tall boy in glasses. "What?" she hissed, disbelief flooding the sound.

"You heard me." was all Mitch had replied. This time there was nothing but a quiet sense of content and smug self-assurance in his voice. No anger, no spite, but a dead certainty that he would be the one to emerge victorious. In fact, he couldn't help but smile as Aika's face flushed red, her arm trembling as she brought it up the card she had drawn to her face.

"We shall see…" she hissed venomously. "Your doom is nigh! I activate a second Double Summon and Tribute all three of my monsters! One for Lotus Ninja – Kuroi and two for Lotus Ninja – Ranpu!"

At that moment, a gust of wind and smoke blew over the field and blanketed it behind a wall of misty grey. Mitch had reflexively brought up an arm to shield his eyes, though he still made the effort to try and peer through the haze and see what it was that Aika had summoned. The wind suddenly died down and all that was left was a thick shroud of grayish smoke covering the woman's field. He had to strain to see, but he thought he could make out two shadowy outlines hidden behind it that weren't there before. "What now?" the boy muttered under his breath as the smoke slowly cleared, revealing both Kuroi and Ranpu in their truest form.

The first one that Mitch laid eyes upon was Kuroi. Tall and lean enough to be called gaunt, he appeared to be the paragon of the silent assassin. A frightening mask covered the top half of his face, its four eyes glaring forward at Mitch with a ruby's light while a mane of stark white hair flowed from it and down his back. Pieces of black armor overlapped almost seamlessly with a traditional charcoal-grey shinobi's outfit. It fit snugly over his body like a second skin that left his muscles clearly visible beneath the thin fabric. A set of twin katana crossed over his back to complete the ensemble. Everything from the way he stood with one hand resting on the handle of a sword and another held in a seal to the way the eyes of his mask seemed to bore straight into his soul sent shivers racing up Mitch's spine. If there was a darker side to what a ninja stood for, then Kuroi was it.

Likewise, if Kuroi was the dark side, then Ranpu was undoubtedly it's lightest. Following Kuroi out of the lingering smoke was a beautiful woman with laughing blue eyes and hair as golden as sunlight. She regarded both Mitch and his monsters with a cat-like smirk as she stepped forward, a hidden blade extending from her hand with a flick of her wrist. Her outfit was sparse compared to Kuroi's, but Mitch had a feeling that was very much intentional. She wore a black tank top that ended slightly below her bust to expose a flat and toned stomach, along with a pair of silky white arm sleeves that didn't quite reach her armpits, and a matching long skirt with a slit cut into both sides to expose some shapely leg. In a way, she seemed more like a belly dancer rather than a true assassin. Not that Mitch was about to underestimate her anytime soon, though.

**Lotus Ninja - Kuroi**  
**DARK**

**Warrior/Effect**  
**This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points, you may select 1 Level 4 or lower "Lotus Ninja" monster in your Graveyard and activate its effect regardless of attacking conditions.**  
**2200/1800**  
**/size  
****Lotus Ninja - Ranpu**  
**LIGHT**

**Warrior/Effect**  
**This card cannot be Special Summoned except by its own effect. Whenever this card attacks a face-up monster, you may choose to remove this card and the attacked monster from play before damage calculation. During the next Standby Phase after this card was removed from play, Special Summon it to your field in Attack Position.**  
**2400/2000**

"I attack VilePawn Archfiend with Ranpu! Go!" Aika declared once the smoke had cleared. All of a sudden, the thin blade extending out of the blonde kunoichi's wrist extended even more, becoming twice as long as it had been, and she broke into a graceful charge towards her target. Her speed was beyond anything Mitch had ever seen. He could've sworn that there had been a few moments when he was seeing mirror images of her at different locations, and switching places all the time. And then, with a motion faster than he could blink, Ranpu suddenly appeared directly behind the crouching VilePawn and thrust the point of her wrist blade through the minor devil's neck. VilePawn was only able to manage a surprised gurgle before detonating in a terrific explosion.

Mitch hadn't even stopped shielding his eyes when Aika had declared another attack. "Now then! I also attack TerrorKing Archfiend with Kuroi! Go!" As soon as the command was given, the white-haired shinobi slowly unsheathed both of the swords from his back. Then, with more of that blazing ninja speed, Kuroi vanished and reappeared right in front of where TerrorKing was standing, his swords already stabbing deeply into his target's gut. A strangled groan escaped the fiend's jaws just before he exploded into a million holographic pixels. "Humph…" Mitch muttered as he once again shielded his face from the blowing dust. "I discard a second DesRook Archfiend!"

"Curses!" Aika sputtered as both Kuroi and Ranpu leapt back to her field. The smoke from the explosions hadn't yet cleared, but she was already beginning to see the imposing outline of TerrorKing standing silently within it. Her eyes narrowed as they met with the fiend's unamused glare, her fist clenching at her sides as her frustration grew. _"He seems adamant about keeping that monster for as long as possible. I wonder what he's planning?"_ she thought angrily. _"No… It's just the simple tactics of one facing defeat. He simply wants to keep him alive because it's reassuring." _But despite that thought, she was still getting awfully sick of seeing that devil's face whenever she thought him to be destroyed. "Go on!" she shouted at Mitch. "Cling to your pathetic monster like a child to a parent's leg! His presence doesn't change the fact that you still took Battle Damage. And that allows me to activate Kuroi's effect!" This time she was smiling. "Each time he inflicts Battle Damage, he gains the effect of any Level 4 or lower Lotus Ninja in my Graveyard. And this time… I select Lotus Ninja – Midorii as that ability! You must discard one card from your hand." she finished as a ghostly image of the lazy-looking ninja appearing over Kuroi's shoulder.

Well, that had certainly caught Mitch by surprise. An annoyed "Tch." Escaped his lips as he looked at his hand and tried to pick one that he could afford to lose. Granted, there really wasn't anything in his hand that could help him yet. "Very well." he replied just as the miasma started to swirl around his ankles. "I'll send InfernalQueen Archfiend to the Graveyard." As soon as the card was sent, the miasma struck. Again, the Life Point loss was small and the contact with the infernal mist was brief, but that didn't stop it from hurting like hell. Mitch had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out as the miasma sapped away at his life force.

Mitch Aika

900 2300

Once it had finally gone, Mitch wasted no time in moving things along. "All right… My turn." he growled lowly as he drew his card. After glancing at it, his eyes widened a bit in surprise before he smiled. "I activate Pot of Avarice! And I return ShadowKnight, Archfiend Soldier, VilePawn and my two DesRook Archfiends from my Graveyard to my Deck and then draw two cards." An image of the card flashed into play, followed by the arrival of a grotesquely animated pot with gemstones for teeth. Mitch smiled at the comical chuckling coming from the pot as he drew two cards, glanced them over, and then smiled a bit wider. "Interesting…" he breathed before facing Aika. "I set one card in face-down Defense Position and then I set another two in my back row." As the cards flashed into play on the field, a plan was starting to come together in Mitch's head. It was a risky one, but he had a feeling that it was exactly what he needed. "Time to see how this goes."

"Very well." Aika responded after drawing her card. She thought she should've been happy, but this opponent proven to be far too annoying for that. Until she saw him broken and bloodied at her feet, she would have no satisfaction. But then… Her victory was at hand. There was no need to be worried now. "Ranpu! Destroy that face-down! Kuroi, make sure you _destroy_ TerrorKing this time!" At her command, Ranpu streaked forward and blazed with speed. Her wrist blade extended again, her arm raising to stab it through the only face-down Mitch possessed.

But not before the card revealed its true nature. The cackling visage of a Morphing Jar was revealed just before Ranpu's blade pierced it through its single eye, resulting in it disintegrating with echoes of twisted laughter resonating through the air. Mitch couldn't have been happier even if he tried.

"Morphing Jar. A monster that forces us to discard our hands and draw five new cards. And now it's going to cost you." Mitch chuckled, a note of self-assurance that made Aika flush present in his words. Something that made him all the more confident.

Both duelists did as Morphing Jar's effect bid and Aika grudgingly looked over her new hand and then at Mitch. "Don't be so sure of that, fool. Not when Kuroi is still able to attack. " With that, the blackest of the two ninjas took his swords in hand and charged at TerrorKing. Malice glinted in all four of his mask's ruby eyes, and death shone in the polished blades of his twin katana.

"Not this time!" Mitch suddenly exclaimed. "I activate Sakuretsu Armor!" With a motion of his arm, the named card flipped face-up and the gigantic arm of the giant that had nearly smashed Kurenai from before came shooting out of it. But this time, instead of having his target vanish into thin air, its massive fingers caught the charging Kuroi, who only uttered a surprised grunt before he was squeezed to a pulp between giant demonic fingers. _"Choke on that, Aika." _Mitch thought with a trace of smugness. He had a feeling that she would save attacking TerrorKing for last, but mainly to rub the fact that she was likely to win in his face. It was the kind of thing someone with either an ego or a mission usually did to crush someone's spirit. And now it had backfired on her, much to her obvious chagrin.

As the arm faded and its prey faded from sight, Aika was almost beside herself with anger. _"He… He tricked me! Again!"_ she mentally sputtered. _"But he won't win. Not as long as I have Ranpu and this face-down to back her up with."_ That thought was perhaps the only thing that allowed her to calm down and stare at the opposite field with some measure of scrutiny. "I end my turn." she muttered while crossing her arms over her ample chest.

"And as you do… I activate Call of the Haunted." Mitch interrupted just as his second face-down card flipped face-up. This time it was a Trap card with a picture of a misty graveyard depicted on it, which soon started to leak ghostly pale mists over a spot on Mitch's field. The sound of earth being ripped open as if something was digging its way up washed over the field, and when the mists had cleared, InfernalQueen Archfiend was seen standing next to her consort TerrorKing. She idly wiped away a few bits of rotten soil from the elegant yet ragged royal cloak she wore around her shoulder and beneath leathery wings, and then fixed Aika with a smug look that spoke "Think you got rid of me, eh?"

However, the moment was short lived as Mitch's voice caused both InfernalQueen's and Aika's attention towards him. "I now activate her ability and raise TerrorKing Archfiend's strength by 1000 Attack Points." Hearing the command, the queen of devilkind summoned dark energies into her hand and traced a large circle in the air in front of her. A pentagram and eldritch runes appeared in the circle's center, followed by a rush of strengthening energy that flowed from the circle and over TerrorKing's body in wispy streams. A sigh was breathed from the devil as all of the muscles of his body seemed to swell in size by a small amount, his knuckles cracking while he flexed his claws and grew accustomed to his newfound power.

Once the magic circle InfernalQueen had made disappeared, Mitch pressed on with this turn. "This ends now! TerrorKing, attack Ranpu with all of your might!" With a sickening snap of bone and flesh, TerrorKing growled his assent and drew back the muscles of his arms and back to rip open his own chest cavity once again. Just as before, another vicious swarm of hell wasps poured forth in a huge cloud of gnashing mandibles and buzzing wings. The swarm surged towards their target, growing closer and closer until all hope seemed lost for the coquettish ninja.

"No! You will not be the one to end this duel!" Aika suddenly roared in defiance. "I activate my third and final Ninjitsu Art of Transformation and summon… Emperor Kabuto Beetle!" Just as the swarm seemed about to devour Ranpu, Ranpu quickly brought her hands up into a single hand seal as Aika's face-down card revealed itself. A swirling vortex of wind and dried leaves of immense size suddenly sprang up around the lone kunoichi, followed by the clacking roar of something like a giant insect. This was exactly what the roar came from. Bits and pieces of the creature concealed by the maelstrom slowly started to pierce through it. A huge set of brown and curved scissor-like mandibles. The tips of armor-plated legs and feet. Paper-thin wings that buzzed even more loudly than the approaching swarm, which were protected by a shiny carapace that was the color of tree bark. And then… five sinister red eyes that looked upon Mitch and his monsters with a primal hunger.

**Emperor Kabuto Beetle**  
**EARTH**

**Insect/Effect**  
**This card cannot be Normal Summoned and can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "Ninjitsu Art of Transformation." During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster who's DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent. Whenever this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, remove that monster from play.**  
**3200/2800**

"Face your doom, fool!" Aika crowed in furious triumph. "Your monster is no match for my-" However, what she saw next was enough to render even her speechless. A tremendous roar was unleashed from TerrorKing as he flexed his muscles even further back to open his chest cavity wider, and the swarm pouring forth from it suddenly _exploded_ into a typhoon of demonic biting insects. As the immense cloud continued to surge towards the giant beetle, the front of it swirled and came together to form the gaping jaws of a giant skull, one that swallowed its whole as the swarm crashed over Kabuto Beetle. Another clacking roar resounded, but one of agony and surprise this time. And when all was said and done, nothing remained of Aika's monster other than a few bits of carapace littered about the ground.

The sight of her strongest monster devoured so easily was enough to send Aika to her knees. "How…?" she gasped softly, her voice stricken. "How is that possible? Your monster had fewer Attack Points! It should've been killed, not mine!"

The question hung in the air while TerrorKing closed his ribs together to seal the remainder of the swarm inside his body, but it didn't go unnoticed. "I told you that I would be ending it now, Aika. And the answer is simple enough. You just weren't aware of your own surroundings to realize it." Mitch started to explain, his face stern yet relieved at the same time. "When you attacked my Morphing Jar, you sent both of our hands to the Graveyard. And with it… my Imprisoned Queen Archfiend, who can raise the Attack Points of a Level 4 or lower Fiend-Type monster by 1000, provided that she's in the Graveyard while Pandemonium is still active. That made TerrorKing Archfiend's Attack Points 4000 instead of 3000, like you probably thought. " As Mitch continued to speak, a ghostly outline of the Imprisoned Queen Archfiend came into view and loomed over TerrorKing Archfiend. She was far larger than TerrorKing and even more vicious it seemed. For instead of the disciplined glow of red that the other Archfiends had shown, only the light of insanity shown in her eyes. Even now, she tugged at the manacles of bone that kept her under bound to her host, screaming in a small but feral roar that echoed even as she faded away from sight. "I end my turn."

Mitch Aika

900 1600

size"3"The words spoken by Mitch hit Aika hard, but not as hard as the miasma that came for her. Somehow the bite of sinking into her pores and stealing her life force stung just a little bit more than usual, but not because of the amount of Life Points lost. Instead, it was as if the crimson mist had become Aika's shame personified, her shame for being outmaneuvered by a child of hellish corruption. This time she made no effort to hold back the resulting scream of pain that gushed from her mouth, which then became only a pitiful whimper once the miasma had gone. "Very well, then…" Aika whispered. "I'll draw." But even then, she had a feeling that it would do her no good. This duel had forced her to exhaust the resources her Deck to its limits, and she could see no other way to win now. And then as if to confirm that thought, she glanced at her card she had drawn and let her shoulders sink even lower. "I… I end." she whispered again, her long hair falling in over her face as she knelt towards the ground in sadness. "_It wasn't supposed to be this way!_ she thought. _How could I be defeated? And now…my clan. My clan..."_ Her vision blurred as tears formed, and she trembled as she stared at the chessboard pattern of the stone floor beneath. It wasn't until a dark shadow passed over her that she looked up to see Terrorking Archfiend looming over her.

"Give up." Mitch commanded, hoping she realized what he was doing. He didn't want to hurt her anymore. She had lost, but there was no reason that he could see why this accursed darkness around them should have her soul. "I don't want anyone to get hurt anymore." he explained. "So don't force my hand. Lower the barrier and leave us alone. You're not a bad person, so there's no reason to take this any further. You're obviously confused, and I'll let that be explanation enough for you working for that Caius creep."

Aika's head fell down once again so that her hair hid her face. Then, she started to tremble. A few tears fell as she continued to shiver. "_Maybe having Terrorking that close is a bad idea." _thought Mitch as a small amount of sympathy washed over his face.But as he started to motion Terrorking back, Aika jumped to her feet and ripped the sword out of the scabbard on her back with a practiced ease.

"DIE!" she shouted, charging straight forward at Mitch with her sword's point stabbing forward. Unfortunately, the tears blinded her to the Duel Monster in the room. With a single stroke, the leader of the Archfiends ripped his sword out of the ground and swung it straight towards Aika's midsection. But this time, instead of simply passing through her harmlessly, the sword drew blood. And lots of it. Aika gasped loudly as long arcs of red were ripped from her body by TerrorKing's blade, leaving a wound that no one would survive for long. She collapsed to her knees, her blood staining her shinobi's outfit and the ground below, and her eyes staring hollowly at Mitch.

And then, the miasma reacted. But unlike before, when it formed from nowhere, it instead formed form the walls of the barrier itself. No, it was the barrier! Collapsing in on its creator, the magic that formed this barrier didn't care one bit as it consumed the defeated duelist.

Acting without thinking, Mitch rushed forward to save the person who had been his opponent mere moments before, but was stopped when Terrorking held his sword out, barring Mitch's path. Knowing that the Archfiend would never let him get anywhere close to the dangerous whirl of pooling darkness, all Mitch could do was stand and watch as she collapsed under the swelling pile of darkness that formed around her. The last thing he saw before it had completely consumed her was Aika's rueful smile.

--

Outside, everyone was just as equally stunned as the barrier's occupants when it collapsed in on itself. But it didn't collapse to the center. Instead, it began to coalesce around Aika, drawing away her true life force as the last of her Life Points vanished. The miasma continued to pile and pile, until it was nothing but a spinning orb of darkness. Then, as abruptly as it had began, the darkness shattered into nothingness with the last of her essence. With all of its spirit gone, the body followed and began to dissolve into black wisps that disappeared into the air. Every trace of her had disappeared, even the sword she'd dropped and the duel disk she had worn.

Mitch was so stunned that he fell to his knees as the image of Terrorking Archfiend faded away. "_Even in the end, when she knew she couldn't win, she kept coming. Why? Why did she do that?"_

"It truly is a pity…" Victor commented, surprising Mitch with the knowledge that they were side by side. "She was one of the few who did not seek out the Monarchs, but was instead pulled by one as she lay in desperate straits." He regarded Mitch with an expression that was almost kind when the boy turned a questioning glance his way. "You see, our dearly departed Aika was from a long dead clan of true ninjas dating back to the Feudal times of Japan. Or rather, she was pulled from that time by Caius to this time." Again, his expression almost seemed kind when he saw Mitch's eyes widen in shock. "Of course, she didn't know that. She was told our time was just a strange world filled with corruption and evil, and if fighting that evil would allow Caius to restore her clan to prosperity, then she would do so gladly. In short, Caius had duped her." Victor's expression seemed to harden whenever he mentioned Caius. "In her travels, she accidentally came across a rift in space that took her straight to our friend Caius. He convinced her that if she defeated enough of his foes in this 'other world', he would give her the power to restore her clan. Unfortunately, he lied as he always does. There was no other world, only back to the one she had come from after centuries had passed. Even if she had somehow gained the power she sought, it would be a moot point the moment she realized that the clan members she'd left behind had long since passed away."

Curiosity momentarily smothering the sadness, Mitch stood up to stare at Victor. "How do you know this?"

Victor chuckled with no degree of hubris before answering. "Why, I was there when he found her. I mentored the dear girl and even helped her form the very deck you just faced. It was back when I was blind to the evils of our dear 'Lord Caius' and worked for him as blindly as she did. I contemplated recruiting her for this cause, but knew she'd never go along with it. Her clan was known for never questioning their leaders, even if the obvious smacked them in the face."

Mitch clenched his fist. "So…you just stood by and did nothing as she…died?"

"Oh, trust me…" Victor smirked maliciously. "You don't want to hit me. But more so on the right line of thought; I don't believe she's gone. You see, when a Monarch's duelist is defeated, their power isn't gone, and I don't believe they are either." Victor turned to place a hand on Mitch's shoulder. "Their power…their being…their beliefs…they have to go somewhere. 'To the victor go the spoils' as they say, and I bet there's no better person than you." His fingers squeezed Mitch's shoulder ever so slightly, but just enough to take the boy off guard. Victor seemed to enjoy that, in some bizarre way. "I'm sure that if you had not been on opposite sides, you two would be fiercely loyal and dependable allies to one another." Holding up his hand, Victor revealed a Monster Card. The picture revealed itself to be Emperor Kabuto Beetle. "Don't let her death be in vain." Victor ordered as he placed it in Mitch's palm. "See to it so that no one else falls for the trickery that ensnared her. This is the mission set before you by fate. Deny it and all will fade like she did."

Letting his words settle in, Victor turned to the rest, a slack-jawed grouping that couldn't help but stare. With nothing more than a smirk, he walked past them and signaled for them to follow. "That distraction took far too much time." Victor called out. "And my friend at the gate to another world is not known for his patience."

Everyone immediately fell in line behind him, even if some did it grudgingly and still possessing a large degree of mistrust. That is, everyone followed except Mitch, who simply stood and stared at the card in his hands. "_She was holding this…"_ he thought. "_Aika had been holding this card the moment she…_ " Mitch stopped before he finished that thought. "_No, she's not dead. At least, not what she fought for. She fought to save her people, her way of life. Even if they are now long past gone, I can't let that kind of loyalty die." _The words seemed to burn within the boy's thoughts. They sparked at his own ideals, his own beliefs, and made him realize just how similar he and Aika actually. "I swear," Mitch muttered to himself. "I will end Caius and all who'd exploit people like Aika."


	14. Chapter 14

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 14  
**--------------------------**

With one large distraction behind them, the group continued down their trail. The sun had settled into late afternoon as they passed through the twisting shadows of the trees, sunlight streaming through the leaves in dappled rays. No one had so much as spoken a word since the duel between Mitch and Aika had reached its conclusion. The silence was about as heavy as a blanket that had been soaked in water. And about twice as uncomfortable. Not even Lee, who had an uncommon knack for raising a chuckle or two in even the most tense situations, had not been able to utter so much as a peep. All in all, it was starting to get on Joe's nerves a bit. _"I wonder what happened in the dome."_ he wondered as he cast a brief glance over at Mitch, who was walking at the rear of the group. Granted, he hadn't known the taller boy for that long yet, but the way Mitch was acting was starting to concern him a bit. Ever since he had witnessed Aika's ghastly demise and had that talk with Victor, Mitch had done nothing but stare grimly ahead without actually taking notice of anything. It made him appear driven, even dangerously so. The thought made him frown as he turned his gaze ahead once more, and then spotted their "leader" in the flowing black coat.

As they continued down the path, Joe jogged ahead to catch up with Victor. "Hey," he called out, "What was that you were talking about with Mitch?"

"What do you mean?"

"All that talk about a Monarch's duelist losing and where their power goes when they do."

"Oh that?" Victor snorted almost dismissively. "Why, that was all just motivational ramblings for our chivalrous friend. But there are a few grains of truth in them, at least according to some. If someone who has been bestowed with powers from a Monarch is defeated in a Shadow Game, their power is absorbed by their challenger. According to the ones who believe in that nonsense, anyway. It's actually a means by which some minions advance quite rapidly. An unfortunate side effect is that the loser fades into nothingness. Of course, then again, I wouldn't really know exactly if that's why the loser fades. But I digress."

"So, I'm guessing that Monarchs go though minions quite rapidly?"

"Yes, yes indeed," Victor sighed, memories of a sordid past obviously rising to consciousness thought. "I watched my share of them come and go over the years. It's the eager ones you really have to keep an eye on. Those who are dragged in or beguiled in some other fashion really don't do too much other than follow orders and do as their told. But then come the individuals who have sought us out. They're cutthroats, the lot of 'em. And they will take down anyone in their merciless quest for power. And thus, they continue on and the defeated vanish from memory."

"Then what's the deal with you? I mean, if the loser vanishes..." Joe left it trailing as he waited for an answer.

"Why I…" Victor laughed. "I haven't been defeated. Simple as that." Victor continued to laugh quietly as he walked forward, even though Joe stood stunned at the revelation such few words could cause.

"_He's never…lost? That's not possible."_ Joe stared forward at the figure in the long black coat and wire-rim glasses and wondered what on Earth they were all following. All the facts he'd picked up along the way were starting to come together. At least, he'd hoped they were facts. So many of them were so outlandish, they practically bordered on tall tales. Victor's story made it seem he was centuries old, yet he merely looked like a young adult. And even if he'd lasted that long some way, how could he have done it without losing a single duel? The law of averages had to catch up with him at some point, so why hadn't it done so yet? "_Impossible!" _he mentally exclaimed with his eyes widening to saucer plates.

"Hey, buddy!" Lee called to Joe from where the group was moving forward. "You better start moving again or we're going to leave you behind!"

It was then that Joe realized that the group had outpaced him while he had been busy gawking at Victor and trying to figure out his story. And that Lee had been the only one to take notice and get his attention. _"Ingrates…"_ he sighed while catching up to Lee. "Right. But to be honest, I'm not sure if that's not such a bad thing now."

"Come again?" Lee inquired with an arched eyebrow.

"Well," Joe started as he began to walk in pace with Lee. "I'm just saying. What do we really know about this Victor guy?"

"Oh, don't start with that again. You're still obsessing over the idea that Victor is going to stab us in the back in the end? Even after someone has out and called him a traitor. Someone from the _other_ side!"

Joe rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying...we should get a better idea of what we're lobbing ourselves into. Rushing in blind like this is going to get one of us hurt...or worse..."

"Well, it's a little late for that now, don'tcha think?" Lee replied with an exasperated sigh.

"That may be. But we should still keep a sharp-.."

"Hey, you two!" Victor suddenly called from the front of the group. "Pick up the pace or we're leaving you two behind! We're almost to our destination!"

With that, Joe and Lee blinked in surprise at each other and then at the group up ahead when they saw how far they had fallen behind "Crud." both boys said almost simultaneously as they hurried on to catch up, leaping over shrubs and rocks before they could lose sight of the group. However, it wasn't long before they and the other Academy students came to a sudden halt again. Each and every one of them wore an expression of complete shock and amazement, their eyes expanding to the size of saucer plates as they looked up at Victor's "destination". And despite everything they had seen thus far, nothing could've prepared them for what loomed ahead of them now. "Is that what I think it is?" Lee managed to croak out with a gulp.

"Indeed it is." Victor chuckled, obviously amused at the surprise plainly evident on the duelists' faces. And they should've been, for looming before them was a larger than life Different Dimension Gate, seeming as if it had been torn right off the Spell card and propped up in the midst of the clearing. "And trust me, it does what you think it does. That, my friends, is the way to the Duel Monster's realm." Victor continued with that trademark smirk. As he spoke, the Gate suddenly hummed to life while flashes of bizarre energies streaked all over the device's polished chrome surface, followed by a rainbow of light spinning within the confines of its "window". "Ah, looks like he's ready to greet us as well. Let's not keep him waiting," Victor continued, hopping forward to continue down the trail. One by one the rest got over their awestruck nature and continued after him.

"Still don't believe this guy is legit, buddy?" Lee whispered, smirking at Joe like he'd just won a bet.

"This proves nothing other than that the pretenses of his story are true." Joe argued.

"Whatever." Lee sighed. He looked as if he were about to continue, until something at the gate caught his eye, "Hey! Looks like someone's coming through that thing!"

"Indeed." Victor answered, even if no one was really asking. "That's my connection I've kept to the other side. Now, bear with me, this guy is a bit of a space case, but he is reliable."

Traces of static suddenly began to "foam" over the shining multi-colored surface of the Gate's opening, growing thicker and thicker like grey ripples spreading over a large (and multi-colored) pond. Then, quite abruptly, a foot popped, followed by the rest of the body. The man who followed looked a bit older Victor, with tossed hair as if he'd just crawled out of bed. His clothing, too, had the look of someone who'd just woken up, being wrinkled all over. The guy squinted into the bright afternoon light before pulling of a pair of sunglasses, resting the round lenses squarely over his eyes. With a smirk now that the sun wasn't bothering him too much, the guy waved to the group before continuing down the steps.

"Alan, my friend." Victor called out. "Is everything set up on the other side for our guests here?"

A lazy-sounding yawn covered by a hand was the first thing to be uttered by the strange man. "Oh yeah, dude." Alan answered as he jerked a thumb towards the Gate. "The guards have been saying that, like, no Monarch thugs have been snooping around, so like, everything's cool, man."

"Good." Victor chuckled, although perhaps a little ominously than what was appropriate. "I'd hate for too much to hit the little ducklings all at once. Lord knows that I had quite an experience my first trip. So…" he continued, turning back to the group. "Let's not waste daylight. Not that it's certain it _will be_ daylight when we get to the other side. Time's a tricky thing when crossing inter-dimensional borders. But I digress, let's go."

"So we..." Ritsuko mumbled as she hid behind Milly and eyed the portal warily. "Just...walk through it?"

"Yup." Victor chuckled. "It's like walking through any regular old door, although I do suggest watching your step on the other side. It's a bit of a doozy when you go through." Then, without a pause, he stepped forward and disappeared into the Gate's shimmering portal. The only sign that he had even been there were a few ripples that spread over the portal's surface and disappeared a moment after.

Meanwhile, Victor's "friend" had only stood off to one side of the Gate and was busy scratching the side of his nose and wearing a ponderous look, like he was trying to discern the mysteries of the universe. "Let's see… I know I'm forgetting something but… OH yeah!" he suddenly exclaimed as he directed his attention to the remaining duelists. "By the way dudes, my name is Alan Cahdett." he smiled chipperly. "Nice meeting you, uh, folks, but like...yeah…" For a moment, it was like the train of thought he was on had suddenly become derailed, only to just as suddenly start working again. But this time, he seemed more urgent than endearingly awkward. "But yeah, let's boogey. Ladies first." he swept his hands towards the portal while looking at Amy, Milly, and Ritsuko.

"Alright then, come on 'ladies'." Milly teased the other two females while crossing her arms over her chest. She wore an impetulant grin at them before turning towards the Gate and its strange keeper, which then settled into a haughty and wary frown. "Might as well get this over with quickly." And with that, she walked straight forward with her nose upturned in Alan's direction and disappeared into the Gate the same way Victor had. Like before, only a few small ripples on the multi-colored surface told of her passing.

"Just like that, I guess," Amy commented, still looking somewhat uncertain about going through the gate. She took a few careful steps towards the Gate, but try as she might, she just couldn't see a thing through the swirl of colors.

"Yeah, uh...just like that I guess." Ritusko echoed from her spot behind Amy. She was even more apprehensive about stepping through the portal, and it showed with the way her hands tightly held on to Amy's shoulders.

It was then that Milly's face suddenly popped out at them from the portal's bizarre surface, and the two girls all but shrieked in surprise as they fell down onto their cabooses. "Come on, you two! Let's get a move on! And the rest of you hurry up as well, I'm not feeling patient!" Milly ordered, a single golden eyebrow arched up at the group. And with those parting words, she disappeared behind the portal with Amy and Ritsuko hurrying after her.

"Well…" Lee said as he chuckled at the sight and turned towards Joe and Aaron. "Can't let myself look like a chicken next to some girls. You with me, guys?" Still amused as some inside joke he was only privileged to know, Lee was still chuckling like the doofus he seemed to be as he followed after the three girls and disappeared behind just as they had. Joe merely sighed and followed behind him, shaking his head at how easy it seemed to keep Lee amused. Aaron followed after without a word.

"Alright, dudes… Move it, we aren't keeping this thing open for our health or whatever." Alan commented while moseying closer towards the Gate. "So hurry up while I like, take care of things on the other side."

Mitch sighed and turned towards Ian. "Still think you have any idea of what we're getting into? I thought I did, but now I'm not so sure."

"Not one bit." Ian replied. "Wish I did, because it'd sure make this a lot easier."

"Well, it's not like it matters. I can't back out now. Not after..." Mitch suddenly fell silent and looked away from Ian. _"I can't leave now even if I wanted to. The Monarchs need to be taken down at all costs. I can't let what happened to Aika happen to anyone else."_

"Yeah…" Ian agreed simply, noting Mitch's silence. "_A lot more happened in there than I thought." _ Ian pondered. He'd known Mitch a long time, ever since they were still in middle school, and it wasn't like the guy to suddenly fall silent. "Look, Mitch. I know it's a pain, but I've got to ask you this. Anything you want to say before we end up dealing with the other people?"

"No." Mitch sighed and faced the Gate. "Just bear with me when I say that no matter what happens, I have to see this to the end. If at any time you want to back out, don't think I'll judge you for it. Hell, you've normally never taken an interest in just about anything, much less stand up for it. But, I think this kind of thing is a different story for you."

"The same could be said for you."

"I guess so. So we've both got our reasons, it seems."

"Seems so." Ian's gaze drifted for a second as he reached towards his deck case, reflecting on his personal cause. "_I need to see this to the end as well. If for any reason, for them."_

"Right then." Mitch breathed to break the silence over them. "Guess we ought to get this done." With that, the taller boy in glasses managed to crack a one-sided smirk at Ian and wave a mock salute before he disappeared behind the Gate, a swirl of light and color flashing in his wake.

"Yeah, guess so." He still felt uncertain about the whole "dimensional travel" thing, but he decided he didn't want to be the one holding everybody back either. He edged closer towards the Gate's portal and dipped a few fingers in its surface, and to his surprise, it felt cold but not uncomfortably so. His fingers looked fine to him when he took them out. "Screw it." he snapped as he jerked his foot forward and started walking.

A cold feeling washed over him as the light momentarily grew much brighter and blinded him. Both disappeared in less than a second as he emerged on the other side of the portal. Unfortunately, that was followed by him tripping over the step in his daze. He coughed as he landed face first into some very dry soil. "Ack…" was all the words he could choke out as he lifted himself off the ground.

"Careful there, buddy." Lee laughed. "The first steps a bit of a doozey."

Ian looked around to see that he wasn't the only one who'd missed his step on the way out. Half the group seemed to have tripped, and Joe was still helping Mitch off the ground.

A crash of thunder brought Ian's attention to the world around him. Dark clouds blackened the sky, and the few patches among them revealed it to be the dead of night. Lightning arched across those clouds, illuminating the landscape. Not that there was much for the landscape, as stretching from horizon to horizon around them was nothing but dusty plains with barely much of a layer of grass in most places. Looking behind him, he saw the portal, seeming much brighter now that it was surrounded in darkness. "Where are we?" he queried.

"I thought it best to set up my base of operations in a land I'm familiar with." Victor answered, he lifted his arm over the landscape, "Welcome to the Mystic Plasma Zone."

"We're in...the Mystic Plasma Zone?" Aaron dumbly repeated in disbelief.

"Oh, hey, it speaks." Victor chuckled. "But yes, that's where we are. I've been using this place as my personal home away from home world, so to say. And since no one is aware that I've turned on them, it should be the safest of places at this time."

"Sounds logical enough." Joe commented warily. "And when they find out that you've turned on them? What then?"

"Then…" Victor chuckled. "We'll never feel welcomed here again. Many of the other denizens of this area are fiercely loyal to Caius and would strike us down on sight just to please him." A hint of sadness escaped from his words, but quickly disappeared as Victor seemed to find distracting in the small notepad he pulled out of his pocket. "So, needless to say, we should be moving before someone notices how many people I've brought back with me. I don't think the whole "new recruit" bit will work with some of you, given your natures." Victor looked from Milly to Amy and Ritsuko, and finally to Lee as he spoke, obviously singling them out.

"What do you mean by that?!" Milly shouted. "_This guy is so infuriating!"_

"Well, no offense there." Victor mused. "But you're far to...bright...for a follower of the Dark Monarch. I really think you should take that as a compliment, but whatever."

"Hmph…" Milly huffed, crossing her arms in defiance, even though she was at a loss for words.

"On a separate note…" Victor interjected with care-free smile. "Did I ever tell you about my thoughts the first time I met you, Milly?"

"Why would I care?"

"Well, you see, I was playing make-believe with myself, and was skulking about looking for possible recruits for this very mission, when I happened upon you dragging your dear friend Ritsuko through the forest to that dreadful abandoned dorm. I remembered snooping on some students while they talked about you, and even though they were skilled Obelisks themselves, they still held you in high regard." His smile widened even more. "Unfortunately, I couldn't let a prime candidate go anywhere near those places, as the Monarchs themselves were using it as a recruiting station. And if you went there, who knows what could've happened? They could've gotten to you before I did, and gotten you to get more of your friends. Such a domino effect had to be prevented, so I made it my goal then and there to either get you and your friend on my side, or scare the living daylights out of you. With Ritsuko I think I accomplished both, don't you?"

"Ack!" Milly gasped and stared at Victor in disbelief. "I can't believe the nerve of you. I...I don't know what to say!" she huffed again and turned her back on him before walking to the edge of the platform the Gate sat on. Ritsuko followed her as well, looking back to give Victor a venomous look. He sighed and shrugged it off.

"Well, all past things aside…" Joe interjected with a note of annoyance. "But, shouldn't we be moving then?"

"Hold a minute." Ian interrupted "Why'd you have to bring that up, Victor? Seems a bit of an odd thing to bring up at a time like this."

"Oh no reason," Victor chuckled as he looked in Milly's direction. "But I can't resist a chance to annoy that girl. She just brings out the worst in me. But it does have relevance actually. Now that we've made our leave, rumors will start to spread about you all disappearing. The base at the abandoned dorms will no doubt hear these rumors, and relay them accordingly. This being said, we need to move fast before their guard is raised."

"Then let's get going." Ian concluded loudly before pausing in his step. "And stop harassing our teammates." He stared hard at Victor as he emphasized the latter half.

"If you insist…" Victor answered. "It seems everyone else has already made their way down." And it seemed true, as Milly and the other two girls were already at the bottom of the platform and were surveying the wastes of the Mystic Plasma Zone for any signs of life. The rest of the guys other than Ian and Victor were already halfway behind them as well. "So, I guess we might as well – DUCK!" he shouted as he dived right into Aaron's back. Shoving with all his might, Victor plowed into the group and forced everyone still on the platform to ground level just as a blast of lightning came hurtling at them and struck the side of the Gate's ring. Ian fell the opposite direction and almost back through the portal. As the dust settled, he was relieved that, despite a few bumps and bruises, everyone was safely piled at the base of the steps. The steps themselves, however, were not so fortunate and now lay as a short stretch of twisted metal between Ian and the rest of the group.

"That was a might bit close…" Victor muttered as he stood up and dusted himself off. "A bit odd though, as the lightning almost never actually comes down to ground level. It was as if…" Victor wanted to continue, but a deafening roar echoed through the night as a something sleek and silver darted out of the clouds and straight for the girls, who were all clustered several steps away from the pile of guys. "Bloody hell…" Victor chocked. He dived yet again, but this time came to stand _between_ the pile of girls and the metallic menace.

All at once, it become obvious what the silver thing was that zipped along in and out of the clouds. Actually, it should've been obvious from the start, but then again none of them could be expected to pay too much attention when lightning was raining down around them. A sleek silver body made of metal, it's polished surface reflecting the storm's lightning off of a capsule-shaped body. A round, almost spherical, head set into a socket for a neck, and then two rigid arms that ended in lethal energy cannons, followed by a slender base equipped with a glowing anti-gravity thruster. One of its cannons was still smoking. And if that wasn't enough of a hint, then the two small orbs that orbited around its body as a shield definitely should've been. This was none other than a Metal Shooter, and it was headed straight for Victor.

_  
_"You can start _defending yourselves_ at any time now!" Victor spat out with a laugh before turning serious. Then, he suddenly kneeled and placed an outstretched hand over the ground at his feet before shouting "Rise!" in an imperious tone. Blue lightning flashed in the sky over his head as if on cue, and the ground rumbled ominously.

Nothing happened.

The Metal Shooters let loose, picking up speed as it dived forward at Victor, their silvery forms blurring together as if they were a mirage. But then, a split second before they would've careened into Victor, the ground at his feet cracked open to spew up a long and slightly rotten arm which caught the side of the Metal Shooter, smashing it and its shield orbs to the side and sending it crashing to the ground with a huge dent. The ground continued to rip open as the arm pulled the rest of the decaying body out of the earth, and a moment later, Stitched Juggernaut was standing triumphantly over the Metal Shooter's wrecked body. The two heads attached to the Juggernaut's massive and disfigured right shoulder almost seemed to leer in delight as the wretched behemoth cocked its powerfully muscled right arm back, then brought its enormous fist down upon the poor robot's head and smashed it to pieces. All that was left of the living technology was a twitching cannon and a body that jerked for several seconds before finally settling down in deathly silence.

"Just as I thought." Victor spoke. "The lightning wasn't random. Prepare for your first lesson in the workings of the Duel Monster's realm, kiddies, because here he comes."

"Who?" Milly called out.

Victor turned back with a smirk on his face and a witty reply on his tongue, but before he could answer, an ungodly loud voice boomed out across the plains. "VICTOR!" it shouted, slamming everyone except the mentioned duelist down to their knees with their hands over their ears. Said duelist merely rose to his full height and stared squarely ahead, seemingly in the direction of the voice.

And then the body the voice belonged to descended from the clouds in a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder. The bolt slammed into the ground a short distance away from the group, but with enough force to render a huge crater where it had struck. The outline of a giant could barely be seen within the smoke leftover from the strike, but that alone was familiar enough to give everyone a big hint as to its identity. Lightning flared across the strange being's body and highlighted a few more noticeable traits through the haze. Distinctive armor, a green spherical headdress, and a yellow cloth striped with black surrounding the sides of his legs. As he rose to exit the crater, his armor flashed in the light, similar in color and texture to that of the Metal Shooter. But unlike the sleek contours of that automaton, this armor was not a bit majestic. Instead, its bold shapes and cuts made it seem fierce and deadly, matching the persona within. And that persona wasn't even a machine like the Metal Shooter, but was instead a being of pure Elemental Lightning.

Zaborg the Thunder Monarch let loose another roar as he pointed a heavy gauntlet at Victor. "You…" he thundered at Victor. "Made yourself a most noteworthy minion. So noticeable that even we, the Monarchs, became aware of your name. Yet now you enter our domain, bring comrades and the intent to defeat _US!? _Is this how you repay that which has been given?"

"I will not answer for myself to the likes of you." Victor spat with a snarl in return. "Instead, duel me, and you shall get your answer." He raised his duel disk, lights flashing as the machine was already on. Stitched Juggernaut, who was still standing diligently by Victor's side, slowly faded from sight as Victor returned the card in play and slipped it back into the Deck holstered in the device's slot. The only things left to show that it was even there was the hole in the ground, and Metal Shooter's shattered remnants. And even so, the latter of the two was also fading from sight, until a hole in the ground was the only evidence.

"HA!" the Monarch bellowed, this time with the ground quaking at the force of his voice. "You think that a lowly human such as yourself is a match for me? I will show you what a Monarch's power truly is!" Zaborg shoved his fist straight into their air, which at the same time met with a bolt of lightning that descended from the clouds. But instead of harming the Monarch, it reverberated over his gauntlet, settling in as the metal began morph into a strange shape. In seconds it formed into a duel disk, the shape of which matched itself perfectly into Zaborg's armor. As the final parts formed, he lowered his hand to show that a deck of cards was already in place. "Let us...BEGIN!" he roared, a shockwave of light unleashed at Victor with the sound. But Victor hardly even blinked at the show of power, and instead swept his own arm at the incoming blast, a wave of darkness rolling forth to intercept Zaborg's. The two barriers collided in a flash and momentarily blinded the other duelists.

Milly lowered the arm she'd been using to shield herself and gasped. A barrier identical to any she'd seen before was in place, but this time it shown with an otherworldly silver light rather than the blackness she'd seen before. Inside the barrier was herself, Victor and Zaborg in front of her, and Amy and Ritsuko behind her. She couldn't find any of the guys, though. She looked around a bit more before setting on Victor, who was looking over his should with a smirk. "I did what I could, but it seems I only caught you three when I interrupted his barrier. I need someone to see what happens and help me explain it to the others. So be a good little girl, and sit back there quietly. And please, for the love of whatever faith you have, _don't_ interrupt us." Before waiting for a reply, he turned back to his opponent.

And before she could even voice an argument, Zaborg's voice boomed out once again. "I see you want your death to be witnessed. Very well. Now, show me what a traitor is capable of."

"Heh!" Victor snorted before lifting a finger to push his glasses back in place. Light reflected from the barrier off his glasses and hid whatever intent was held within his gaze. "I intend to."

NC: Man-Made vs. Machine. Parts for Parts.


	15. Chapter 15

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 15  
**--------------------------**

"Well, this is certainly a pickle." Those were the words that Milly thought to herself as she watched the incredible events between Victor and his opponent. It wasn't everyday that one got dragged into another dimension, trapped in a magical dome, and then be forced to watch a duel that could decide the fate of all humanity. Especially when the opponent was one of the very Monarchs that the group had been sent to stop. Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. Milly couldn't help but gawk in awe at the sheer amount of _power_ rippling from Zaborg's armored form, the aura of snapping electricity surrounding him and scorching everything it touched. "Oh dear…." she muttered, her body moving on its own as to stand between Ritsuko and Amy, as if to shield them from the Monarch's fury. She hated to admit it, but she found herself hoping that Victor would be the one to emerge victorious from this. Otherwise… Well, let's just say that she didn't feel all that up to facing Zaborg if Victor lost.

"Very well then!" Zaborg boomed in answer to Victor's challenge. The air around him warped as sparks of electricity ionized it into ozone. He placed one steel-plated gauntlet upon his Duel Disk and took the first draw of the game. How it would all end was now up to luck and skill. "I draw first. And behold! The perfect card to halt you and your minions!. I summon Thunder King Rai-Oh to the field!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a jagged bolt of lightning suddenly leapt from the edge of Zaborg's Duel Disk and blasted at a spot near in his Monster Zone, pooling together to form something like a blistering portal from which only energy and destruction reigned. From that portal arose a being unlike anything that neither Milly, Amy, nor Ritsuko had ever seen. It was only barely humanoid, a levitating body clad in a metallic shell of brilliant blue and gold. Lightning sparked in arcs from each of the four needles extending from where the creature's shoulders and legs should've been, forming a ring of electricity that kept the body aloft. A set of solid gold rings with needles extending vertically from the top and bottom also orbited around it, following the lines of energy cast by the four needles like tracks. The eyes of the creature, red like rubies and just as hard, simply stared forward at Victor with an unflinching certainty of its own power.

But despite the dramatic entrance of Zaborg's monster, Victor wasn't even fazed by it. In fact, he was too busy picking his ear with a pinky to even pay attention it. Something that no doubt infuriated the thunderous Monarch even more. "Same old, same old…" Victor sniffed, barely noting Zaborg's field as he drew a card. "This is why I never liked you, dear friend. You're much too aggressive."

"Quiet, knave!" Zaborg shouted and pointed a finger at Victor. It was almost like the Monarch was about to fry his opponent right where he stood. The crackling energy encircling his arm seemed to hint as much, despite that the arm was soon lowered. "This is how one should always duel. With the fierce intensity of a brewing storm! It demands striking hard and fast before one's opponent knows what hit them! I end my turn by setting three cards face-down."

"Whatever you say." Victor mused with a chuckle. He seemed rather pleased that he'd been able to push his opponent's buttons so easily. "I think I'll start off easy by setting one monster and two face-down in the back. Your turn."

"Ha! That's what you think!" Zaborg scoffed as Victor's cards flashed into sight. "Before you get a chance to even use those cards, I'll destroy them! I activate my first Trap, Raigeki Break! And then I shall discard a Batteryman AA to pay for its cost." As the chosen card was flipped face-up, a tremendously powerful bolt of lightning flew from the card's middle and blasted the lone face-down occupying Victor's Monster Zone. The semblance of a cat was briefly seen before it too shattered to pieces, a deathly yowl echoing over the crackling air.

"Hmm, seems you've hit my Stitched Familiar," Victor noted. "Which I'm sure you know what happens next. My little undead kitty gets to replace itself with a sibling from my Deck. Your rashness has made you waste your Trap, my friend." As he spoke, he slid a new card into play and a monster that bore the image of the same patchwork feline from before tore itself free from the earth and sat down. It's tail flickered back and forth in an almost dainty fashion, it's one yellow eye staring at Zaborg as if to mock him.

**Stitched Familiar**  
*****  
****DARK  
****Zombie/Effect  
****When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Stitched Familiar" from your Deck. Tribute this card to increase the ATK and DEF 1 face-up Zombie-type monster you control by 400. This increase stays as long as that monster remains face-up on the field. This effect may only be used once per turn.  
****800/800**

"Hmph…" the Monarch grunted. "I actually expected you to try some trick like that. It's why I had a second Raigeki Break set. And by discarding a second Batteryman AA, I activate it and target the first card you set behind your monster!" Again, the Trap card revealed itself and blasted another electric bolt. But this time, it went sailing over the Familiar's head and struck the card on the right side of Victor's back row, shattering it to pieces with a noise like bone shattering. Victor had to shield himself to keep from pieces of what was his Body-Snatching Barrier from striking him too harshly.

"You didn't target my monster with that one?" Victor chuckled as he lowered his arm. "I'll let you know I only have two, although I had thought that you Monarchs knew my Deck inside and out."

"Say what you will," Zaborg growled, drawing a card to signify the start of his turn, "but try laughing at this! After summoning a second Thunder King Rai-Oh, I activate my last Trap! Limit Reverse! This allows me to resurrect one of my monsters in the Graveyard, so long as it has 1000 ATK or less and remains in Attack Position. So rise, Batteryman AA, and serve me now!"

After revealing his Trap card, a light flashed from the Graveyard slot of Zaborg's Duel Disk and landed on the field. "_No, not a light",_ Victor noticed, "_more like lightning_." The small ball of lightning blazed brighter and brigther, exploding in a flash to reveal what looked like battery with a head and two arms and legs. Not to mention 1000 ATK points. A mass of lightning shaped like the two ends of a scarf blazed where the head floated above the rest of it's body, crackling and swaying with each breath of wind inside the dome. With his grand entrance completed, Batteryman AA flexed his two little metallic arms and settled into levitating in place beside the first Thunder King Rai-Oh.

"But I'm not finished with you yet!" Zaborg crowed arrogantly. "I also reveal a Spell card from my hand! Inferno Reckless Summon! Since I already Special Summoned a monster with 1500 ATK or less while you have a monster on the field, this lets me bring out _all_ of the other copies of that same monster from my Deck, Hand, or Graveyard! I choose Batteryman AA! Meet your doom, you lowly _human_!" Just as before, another set of two more balls of electricity flew from Zaborg's Duel Disk, one arcing out of the Deck while the other flashed from the Graveyard slot. Then, as the twin orbs neared the first Batteryman AA, each one of them burst apart and became an identical copy of the first. But somehow, something seemed different now. As the other came to stand side by side of the first, the electrical fields surrounding each one seemed to grow and merge together to form a single mass of pulsating energy. One powerful enough to cause the hair on the back of the three girls' necks stand on end and vaporize just about anything.

But again, Victor was too busy doing something else to really pay attention. "Yes, I'm well aware of that Spell," Victor sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "and it would normally allow me to bring out my other copy of Stitched Familiar, but I'd rather skip that and go straight to this." Victor snapped a finger and pointed it at his facedown card to direct Zaborg's attention, just as it revealed itself to be Torrential Tribute. "With this card, I think I'll wipe the field now." A torrent of water flooded out of the Trap, washing away every monster on the field. "And with that out of the way, I think I'll also be taking my turn now that you've thrown away every card in your hand."

Zaborg looked at his empty palm for a split second before turning to Victor, "You think you've won? Hit me with your best shot, and I'll throw it back at you a thousand fold."

"If it's a promise…" Victor chided, drawing his next card,

"_He saw that coming."_ Milly noted, then turned to check the reactions of the other two watching with her. The flashes of lightning seemed to have scared Ritsuko, who was hiding behind Amy. Amy was watching just as intently as Milly, and still was. "_I still don't quite have you figured out mister, but someday…" _Milly thought as she eyed daggers into Victor's back. "_After we're done here... I'm going to get even with you for all that you've put us through. It doesn't matter what your goals are. After we deal with the Monarchs..." _But then, her thoughts were interrupted as Victor picked up the fact that someone was staring at him, and turned around to look back at Milly. Then, either ignoring the fact that she was staring daggers at him or in complete obliviousness, Victor smirked in return. Startled at the reaction, Milly once again found herself rendered speechless. "_Why that...that...!" _Milly couldn't even find the right word she needed to describe how irritating he was.

Turning back to his duel, Victor smiled inwardly once again at how much he'd managed to upset Milly. Without even trying, really. "_But now, back to the match." _he thought as he drew his card."And here we go. I now activate The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber, and sacrifice 1000 Life Points to remove my two dear kitties from the Graveyard and fuse them together! Into the Stitched Cannibal!

With a horrible sound of screeching metal and something else too terrible to mention, the pride and joy of Victor's Deck shot up from the ground and opened its doors, spewing forth a vile green gas as something came lumbering out. The creature was easily seven feet tall, but it's height was not the most concerning thing about it. It was huge and wide, like a glutton who had eaten himself to death only to be reborn anew from the twisted remains of other gluttons. Layer upon layer of gelatinous fat sagged from the Cannibal's body, the stuff bound in rope in places as if to keep it from sliding off its own vile form. What was once a whole face had been sheared away to reveal a skull with two dead eyes set in the sockets, leaving only a flabby lower lip and an even flabbier neck to connect it to the rest of the body. The right arm was nothing but a long and gangly skeletal limb with rope binding the elbow and shoulder together, bony claw-like fingers scratching the ground as it toddled out of the Animation Chamber. The left leg was the same as the arm, skeletal and bound in rope to hold it together.

**The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber  
****Continuous Spell  
Pay 1000 Life Points. Once per turn, remove from play Fusion material monsters from your Graveyard to Fusion Summon 1 Zombie-type Fusion Monster. You may not Normal Summon during the turn you use this effect.**

  
**Stitched Cannibal**  
*******  
****DARK  
****Zombie/Fusion/Effect  
****The Fusion-Material monsters for this card are any 2 Zombie-type monsters in your Graveyard. This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber". Return any monsters that were removed from play to Fusion Summon this card to your Graveyard when it is destroyed. Whenever this card destroys an opponent's monster as a result of battle, add that monster to your Graveyard instead of your opponent's and treat it as a Zombie-type monster while it is in your Graveyard.  
****2300/1400**

"You..." Zaborg muttered incredulously.

"Me." Victor chimed, his face twisting into an expression of child-like glee and innocence. But, that didn't last long. "I also play Mystic Plasma Zone, which raises my monster's ATK by 500 points and bring the grand total up to 2800. Now, Stitched Cannibal, teach this Monarch a lesson in overextension."

Foaming spittle flew the monstrous jaws of the Stitched Cannibal as it hobbled across the field towards where Zaborg was standing. At the same time, the area of the dome's ceiling was suddenly consumed by roiling black clouds exactly like the ones outside. Victor's monster seemed to draw strength from them, it's disjointed gait picking up speed as it lifted its skeletal claw at its intended targeted. Zaborg was mighty, there was no doubt about that. But try as he might, not even he was mighty enough to bend the rules of the game to his will. The cannibal's claw slammed into his chest plate and gouged four long slashes deep into the metal.

Victor | Zaborg  
3000 | 1200

"Yeah! Get him Victor!" Ritsuko shouted and jumped forward to cheer him on. That was when Ritsuko realized exactly what had come out of her mouth and her face suddenly grew two shades paler than it had been. A look from Milly was all it took to send her scurrying behind Amy again to hide.

"_Kind of odd of her to make an outburst like that." _Milly noted silently, if not a little disgusted. "_Then again, it's odd for her to make any outburst at all_."

"Well!" Victor laughed. "It's good to see someone's glad that I'm winning. I think I'll call it a turn at that." he finished with another sly wink at Milly.

"Then it is my turn." Zaborg replied solemnly "And I'll set this monster before calling it a turn."

"Not much else you can do, is there?" Victor commented rakishly. "I draw, and then I'll attack your face-down with Stitched Cannibal."

"And when you do, you also set off the flip effect of my Batteryman Micro-Cell!" Zaborg laughed triumphantly. As he did so, Victor's Cannibal had just swatted Zaborg's only card into oblivion. The card revealed a strange circular being, like a wristwatch's battery with arms and legs, just before it was consigned to the Graveyard. A moment later, another of its brethren had flown from the Monarch's Duel Disk in a ball of electricity. This time it appeared to be a smaller, almost child-like version of the AA's, with nothing but two stubby little arms and legs and a head half the size of its body. Like the AA's, a mass of electricity shaped the tails of a scarf flowed from where the head floated above the rest of its body. "It's destruction allows me to Special Summon Batteryman C to the field in Defense Position. Also, since Mirco-Cell was destroyed in battle, it also gives me one free draw."

"You'll need it. The ability of my Stitched Cannibal, as you might've guessed, is to consume its enemies. Your Micro-Cell goes to my Graveyard instead of yours and becomes more fodder for my wonderful creations." Victor finished with a sly smirk just as he turned his attention to his own monster. What happened then was almost enough to make Milly and the girls sick to their stomachs. The huge gut of the Stitched Cannibal suddenly split open across the middle and formed into a gigantic fang-filled mouth, which then snatched up the poor Batteryman Micro-Cell with its tongue and swallowed it whole.

"Grooossssss…." muttered all three of the girls in unison with their hands covering their mouths.

The only notice Zaborg gave to the three girls was a crackling glare before he turned his attention back upon Victor. "Then it is my turn. I set one monster, and then I end."

"Taking it kind of slow for you, don't you think?" Victor jeered.

"Silence!" Zaborg ordered. "I care little for your comments."

"Ha!" Victor laughed as he drew his next card. "Join the club. I draw, then I'll attack your Batteryman C with Stitched Cannibal. Once again, it dies, but goes to my Graveyard thanks to my monster's ability."

"I have no need for it anymore."

"Good!" Victor exclaimed. "Because I can always use it to fuel my experiments. And why not? I'll do that now. But first, a little more fuel. I activate Foolish Burial, and dump Stitched Menagerie from my Deck to the Graveyard. Then I'll sacrifice 1000 Life Points and remove the Stitched Menagerie, which counts as two Zombies, as well as the two Batterymen. I'll fuse them all to create the Stitched Devourer!"

As Victor's Spell flashed into play, a sound like scrabbling claws echoed throughout the entire dome. A chilling green glow started to shine from his Duel Disk, followed by the crab-like form of his Stitched Menagerie that came crawling out of his Deck and into his own Graveyard slot. It was nothing more than a collection of random writhing human limbs stitched onto a quivering headless torso. And it was all that the duel's mortal audience cared to see.

But the show wasn't done quite yet. Lightning from above flashed down and collided with the twin prongs growing from the top of the Animation Chamber sitting on Victor's field, which was then processed and used to energize the vile chemicals stirring behind the chamber's doors. A moment later, the doors again were opened with a hiss of green gas, and another patchwork stumbled out to join its brethren, the Cannibal. While the Cannibal seemed to have once been human, the Devourer seemed to have never been from the start. Instead, it was a walking corpse stitched together from various parts of different species of demon and devil-kind. One leg ended in a cloven hoof, the other ended in the foot of a reptilian humanoid. One arm ended in jaggedly cruel insectoid claws, the other in the meaty fist of something akin to a gorilla covered in elephant hide. The only obvious devilish feature was the head, a wretched display of twin devil's horns, red skin, goat-like beard, and stitches.

**Stitched Menagerie  
****DARK  
********  
****Zombie/Effect  
****This monster counts as 2 Tributes for the purpose of Tribute Summoning a Zombie-Type monster. It is also treated as 2 Zombie-Type monsters while in the Graveyard.  
1200/1000**

**Stitched ****Devourer**

**DARK  
****Zombie/Fusion/Effect  
****The Fusion-Material monsters for this card are any 4 Zombie-type monsters in your Graveyard. This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "The Mad Doctor's Animation Chamber". Return any monsters that were removed from play to Fusion Summon this card to your Graveyard when it is destroyed. Whenever this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points, randomly discard 1 card from their hand to the Graveyard. If it is a Monster Card, add it to your Graveyard instead and treat it as a Zombie-type monster while it is in your Graveyard.  
2600/1400**

"You better think up something quick on your next turn, otherwise I'll have to end this little learning session. I set another card and end."

"LEARNING SESSION!" Zaborg snarled. "I'll show you, you pompous little human! Draw! I Flip Summon another Micro-Cell, using its effect to Special Summon Batteryman D to the field in Defense Position. And next I Tribute the same Micro-Cell to summon Batteryman Charger, who brings out a second Batteryman D from my Deck. And finally, I remove two of the Batteryman AA from my Graveyard to Special Summon the Batteryman Industrial Strength!"

Several seconds and flashes of light later, Zaborg's field was once again filled to the brim with even more Batteryman monsters. If anything could be used to describe the two Batteryman D's, it's that they were the shorter and squatter versions of their line, almost like two jolly-looking gnomes who just enjoyed a fat snack of energy. Their chubby little smiles were almost endearing if it weren't the for the smug look of victory shining in their plastic eyes.

The Charger, on the other hand, seemed to be the more spritely of the group by far. Literally. Wings of electricity in the shape of faerie wings emerged from the electrical field surrounding its body and beat lazily as if they were actually keeping it aloft beside the others. Thin, almost feminine, arms crossed over a box-like body while the head, vaguely shaped like a thin football, knelt down as if in meditation.

That only left the Industrial Strength. It was the largest of its comrades, easily dwarfing the Charger and two D's. In a nutshell, it was a car battery come to vengeful life. A single wheel beneath the box-like body served as its legs while two massive and tubular arms held jumper clamps as large as swords. A cable ran from each clamp to the back of its body, which then fed the two weapons enormous amounts of electricity. Sparks flew as it clashed its two weapons together like it was taunting Victor's monsters.

All in all, Zaborg seemed plenty pleased with how his field was set up. This was his element, after all. He was one of the Monarchs, one of the Primal Elements personified. Knowing that, he boomed, "And now, by removing from play Thunder King Rai-Oh, I activate Industrial Strength's special ability to destroy Stitched Devourer and your cursed Animation Chamber." At his command, Industrial Strength clashed his two weapons together once more to build up a charge and then lifted them over its head. A shower of sparks flew everywhere as the charge was increased even further, until at last, the giant Batteryman swung his weapons down and unleashed a titanic ball of lightning at Zaborg's opponent. To Victor's amusement, the electrified orb swerved off its straight course and collided with the Devourer first, then swung back around to hammer through the Animation Chamber before the whole works exploded into dust.

"Oh well…" Victor sighed nonchalantly. "That just means you've returned all the monsters that were used to summon Devourer back into my Graveyard. And you're still not strong enough to deal with my Cannibal."

"NOT STRONG ENOUGH!?" Zaborg boomed, "You seem to forget that even though Batteryman Charger enters the battle with only 1800 ATK, it is quickly raised by 300 for every Thunder-type monster on the field, including itself! That brings it to a grand total of 3000 ATK with the three other Thunder-types to support its might! Batteryman Charger! Blast that wretched beast into oblivion!"

With a sudden burst of electric light, the almost feminine Charger lifted its gaze to bear down upon Victor's only monster. And with a defiant through electrically distorted shout, it's energized "wings" suddenly swept forward like lances to pierce through the monster's putrid and flabby flesh.

However, it seemed that the Cannibal's demise was simply not meant to be. "I said…" Victor smirked lowly. "You're not strong enough! I activate Body Snatching Barrier, which destroys your attacking monster and adds it to my Graveyard as a Zombie-type monster." With the shouted words, a ghastly wall of bone with a demonic skull in the center suddenly erupted from the ground between Charger and the Cannibal, it's mouth opening wide just as a giant skeletal hand came out of it and grabbed Zaborg's monster in a death grip, then pulled it back in the gaping jaws of the skull to swallow it whole. It happened so fast that there wasn't time for anyone to blink.

Even for the Monarch. Instead, Zaborg's only reaction was a low and crackling growl and lightning flaring over a clenched fist held at his side.

"_He's got a response for everything!" _Milly exclaimed to herself. "_How is this possible? I know I should be glad he is so fortunate, but is this man even human?"_

"But now, I do think it is time I end this." Victor shrugged with an obviously annoyed expression. "And hey! Look at this! You should be very familiar with this little number." he chuckled at his own joke, seemingly oblivious to the Monarch's growing rage. "I start by activating Lightning Vortex, and by discarding this last card in my hand, I destroy your entire field." A wave of lightning erupted from the image of the activated Spell and washed over Zaborg's entire field to leave nothing behind. "And with them out of the way, I-"

"You will do nothing!" Zaborg roared. "I activate Offerings to the Doomed, which gives me the power to destroy your Stitched Cannibal, but I must skip my next draw." As the spell flashed into play, Stitched Cannibal exited in an explosion neither duelist could determine to be real or not. It certainly felt real, but left little debris, if any. "And now we are even, both in hand and monsters."

A deafening silence stretched on as the two duelists looked across the field at each other. Even though armor covered his face, Milly was sure she sensed a smirk underneath Zaborg's helmet. "_Could it be that Zaborg's finally turned things on Victor?" _she thought worriedly. The realization that she was worried at all for him was enough to startle her. "_No, If he loses, we lose. That's why I'm worried. I don't care what happens to him."_

But then, Milly's entire train of thought, as well as everyone else's, was suddenly derailed by something none of them ever expected to hear. Victor was… laughing. First it started out as a small chuckle, then it exploded into a full maniacal outburst that made him double over and hold his gut. Even Zaborg seemed unnerved as Victor continued for several minutes before finally stopping. "Oh ho ho," Victor spoke, wiping a tear out of his eye, "I'm sorry, but you're so pitiful I couldn't bare it."

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me." replied the bespectacled man. "You're pitiful. A joke. The other Monarchs mock you behind your back, didn't you know? Your over-aggressiveness has been a hindrance to their plans and mine, and I am fortunate that I get to rid the worlds of that nuisance here and now."

"With what monsters?" Zaborg retorted. Milly once again sensed the grin hiding behind the mask, a grin no doubt fueled by the fact that Victor had no monsters or a hand.

"If you would be so good as to shut up…" Victor ordered non-chalantly. "I would like to direct your attention to the Trap card I've had sitting here for some time. I believe I've had it since my lovely little Stitched Cannibal hit the field. This… is your doom."

"There's nothing in your Deck that inflicts burn. We both know that."

"Oh, so now you know what's in my Deck?" Victor replied, only to once again double over in another maniacal fit of laughter. "You're so stupid it actually hurts me, dear Zaborg. See… While you were busy pounding your chest like a dumb animal trying for dominance with your brothers, I've been busy on my own time. While you've been wasting your time on this side, I've been _evolving_. I'm am nothing like the little minion you and the other Monarchs once controlled. _Nothing_, I say. Look at you. The fact that you've been pushed into a corner like this in _the first place_ is proof enough of my superiority over you."

"SILENCE! I will not suffer your lies and treachery!" Zaborg boomed, his fury causing the very air and ground to quake beneath everyone heels.

"YOU CAN, YOU WILL, AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!" Victor crowed back, his own darker powers manifesting as a strange and writhing aura of shadow surrounding his form. "I activate my last Trap! The Mad Doctor's Cauldron, which allows me to Special Summon three Stitched Tokens to my field!" Once again, the earth cracked apart beneath Victor's feet and another abominable machine was thrust out of the depths and into view. But unlike, the Animation Chamber, this contraption was far simpler in nature. Indeed, it was merely a metal apparatus that housed a huge cauldron suspended by a series of chains. A foul-smelling liquid bubbled within, which was then spilled forth in a tide of goo and gunk when the cauldron was tipped. But along with the brew also came three blobs of rotten flesh that hit the ground with a sickening "SCHLUCK!". Blobs that soon began to twist and writhe into a barely humanoid form, the stitchwork keeping their bodies together plainly visible beneath the slime left over from the fall from the cauldron.

**The Mad Doctor's Cauldron  
****Normal Trap  
****Special Summon 3 "Stitched Tokens" (Zombie-Type/DARK/1 Star/ATK 0/DEF 0) to your field. They cannot be Tributed.**

Zaborg almost seemed taken aback by this, but then realized one crucial fact. "But they have no ATK." he sneered venomously. "How can you finish me off with such weaklings?"

Victor only scoffed and regarded his opponent like one would with someone who just got off the short bus at school. "Do you forget where we are? I have once again instilled the Mystic Plasma Zone inside your barrier with my Field Spell card. You thought you'd taken the advantage of our environment from me when you placed your barrier, shutting off the outside terrain and negating the effects of this part of the realm. Fortunately, I carry around that card in my Deck. And with its help, each of my tokens gain 500 ATK points. And assuming you can do simple math, you know that makes them into a suicidal strike force of 1500 points! Now, Stitched Tokens, finish off this disgrace!"

Each token, a misshapen remnant of something once human, rose to a fighter's stance and extended long and needle-like claws from their fingertips. Then, on a single thought, they all rushed forward simultaneously to strike down Zaborg. He swiped his free arm to one side in order to block a token, then swung with his Duel Disk at the other token. But unfortunately for him, this left him wide open for the third to lunge forward. And despite the fact that its claws appeared so weak that they should've snapped across Zaborg's chest plate, the Stitched Token's talons pieced the center of the plate with deadly ease.

"You're through," Victor muttered, lowering his arms to his sides as Zaborg began to disappear.

NC: Second Thoughts and Second Teams...


	16. Chapter 16

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 16  
**--------------------------  
**

"Let us...BEGIN!" roared the Thunder Monarch.

With those words, Zaborg made a sweeping gesture with his arm and unleashed a wave of power over the ground. The farther the wave traveled, the more defined it's shape became, growing taller and wider until it had solidified into a dome of purest white. Victor retaliated by sending out a wave of darkness to counter his enemy's barrier, but it appeared to fall short compared to the Monarch's powers. Ian and the others could only watch in horror as the white barrier swallowed not only Victor, Milly, Ritsuko, and Amy, but also the terrifying Zaborg, one of the Monarchs they had come to this realm to defeat. "Not good," Ian muttered as he took a tentative step forward towards the dome. He had also noted that everyone else was doing the same, the expressions of shock and worry mirroring his own. Since they'd fallen to the front of the gate, they were almost right next to it. But he, unfortunately, had fallen backwards and off to the side of the platform, bruising his back and elbows but fortunately little else. "_Except maybe my pride." _he thought bitterly.

"Keheheheheh…. You needn't worry about your friends. Not in this fight, at least."

The mysterious voice had caught Ian by surprise and he quickly spun around and balled his hands into fists. The voice he had heard sounded like a crazy old man, but with a tone that was so gravelly it bordered on sinister. And it steeled Ian's nerves against any possible signs of treachery or ambush. "Who's there!?" he shouted angrily, his nerves and emotions momentarily getting the better of him.

"Oh dear." the voice answered. This time Ian realized it was coming from somewhere near the shadows cast by the Gate's massive structure. It was so dark there it was almost impossible for him to see through the inky blackness. "You have nothing to fear from little ol' me. Keheheheheh… Come here for a moment, I have something for you."

"I have no reason to trust someone who hides in shadows." Ian retorted. He could barely make out the figure in the shadows. As far as he could tell, it seemed human, but it was also even shorter than he was and seemed to be sporting a hunch on its back. And frankly, it was all Ian needed to see before he decided to call the others. He quickly turned his head and shouted to gain everyone's attention, yet none of them appeared to stop. They were still huddled around one side of the barrier, staring intently at it as if their stares were enough to pierce its white walls. Ian arched an eyebrow and this and turned fully around to face them, then cupped his hands over his mouth to shout "HEY! ARE YOU GUYS DEAF OR WHAT!?" But again, they didn't seem to notice.

"Kehehehe!" the voice laughed, but much louder than before. "Scream all you like, but they can't hear you now. But don't worry, it's just a precaution. I'll lift the spell once I'm through here. It'd just be annoying to have one of your cohorts come along and interrupt us before I've said everything I need to." The small shoulders of the figure shook as another chuckle was heard. "But anyway… You follow Victor, and yet you doubt me for hiding in shadows. Keheheheh… If you knew all there was to know about your gracious "leader" in this world, you'd go scurrying back through yonder Gate faster than a rat fleeing a sinking ship. But I'll entertain you, just this one time." And with that, the figure took a short and staggering step forward, leaning on the staff it carried with it.

Ian instantly knew what he was looking at. He could never really tell if it was male or female, as the flaccid long strands of white hair would work well on both. And the red robes which covered the hunched figure worked well to hide anything else. Even the face, drawn tight and ragged with age, was indistinguishable. All he knew was that the figure before him was old. And he had seen many times before, but never in person. Until now. "You're...the Old Vindictive Magician."

"Kehehe…" the duel monster chuckled before a small coughing fit took over. "Please, we need not be so formal here, Ian. Why not call me something shorter? Why don't you just call me Mag? It's much easier."

"All right… Mag." Ian sputtered awkwardly. He couldn't believe that he has having this conversation in the first place, much less that it was with a real live Duel Monster. But then again… He had also just witnessed Zaborg swallow up almost half of his friends inside of a supernatural barrier. Maybe this wasn't so odd after all. "What do you want?" he finally asked. "And how do you know they'll be safe in there?"

"The last question is the easiest to answer, kehehe. They have Victor, do they not? They are sure to win. And as the saying goes… "To the Victor go the spoils". He becomes more powerful with each victory. And with his unique skills, I wonder how long it will be before he becomes invincible. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Another wry smirk cracked across the old mage's leathery face. "Not that he isn't already plenty corrupted, that is."

"I'll deal with that when the time comes." Ian answered with a subtle glare. "Now is that all you have to say?"

Mag almost seemed to frown at Ian's words. "Such an impatient youth." the mage sighed. "But as I said… Power corrupts. But there is one that does not. It refines!" smiled the duel monster, yellowed teeth glinting in the light from the stormy clouds above. "Oh, what a wondrous power that is! One that focuses the mind and will onto a single target. You had this power once, did you not?"

The words, even as cryptic as they were, slammed into Ian with all the force of a battering ram. His eyes widened and his face paled, his hands once again clenching into trembling fists at his side. He knew exactly what "power" Mag was referring to, and it chilled him to the core and beyond. "How do you...no, it doesn't matter." Ian responded with a deep breath to steady his nerves. A moment later, he had almost recovered his composure and his eyes hardened at Mag. "I ditched that power long ago, and I never want to see it again."

"Aww…." Mag noted, then began shuffling forward. "He says he doesn't want to see it again, he does. Kehehe, oh how the young are so fierce in declaring their will, as ever-wavering as it is. But if said power should present itself again, would you be sure you would not take it once again? After all, desperate times… Kehehe…" the monster cackled. A withered hand withdrew from the folds of the red robes, an evil smile cracking Mag's aged face even more. "…call for desperate measures." Drawing its hand out, Ian took a full step back as he realized the small black case Mag held in its palm.

"How did you get those?! I-I-I thought I…!" Ian stammered.

"What has been made can never be unmade. Merely displaced. Here…" the mage held out its hand, "Take them. You'll need this power when the time comes. You'll know when. Keheheheeheeheheee…."

"No! I refuse!" Ian argue and swept the box out of Mag's hand. It fell to the ground with a small poof of dust and the Old Vindictive Magician almost seemed disappointed at the sight. It turned to Ian with a withering glare and a high arch of a long and white eyebrow. "I'm not falling into its grasp again." Ian said and turned away with his arms crossed over his chest to show that he was serious.

"As you wish…" Mag chuckled as it took a shuffling step backward. "But a time will come, and you will use them, regardless of your intents now."

"Now listen here," Ian shouted, turning back to face Mag. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw that there was no one before him. The creature has completely disappeared, leaving him alone with a small black box at his feet. He looked down, noting the fact that it was the very box he thought he'd rid himself of years ago. Yet here it lay, undamaged. Even the seal he'd wrapped around the edges to keep the box shut was completely untouched, as if he'd wrapped it barely this morning. The sight made Ian's brow darken and furrow deeply. "They came after I received the Forgotten Toys, but the Toys have no knowledge of them to this day. I...I have to keep it that way. So why do I still want to pick it up?"

"Get a hold of yourself, Ian!" he ordered at himself. "You can't just leave something like this lying around. We'll hold onto it, but we won't use it." Satisfied with his own answer, Ian bent down picked up the case, pausing for a moment as his fingers grazed the cover. Even without direct contact, he could still feel the wishes of those trapped within it. No, he thought, directing the emotions at the case and what it held inside it. Not this time. Feeling the voices ebb, he picked the box up and slid it into an extra deck slot he wore on his belt.

"Hey dude!" Alan suddenly shouted at Ian from behind, which just about made the youth jump right out of his skin in fright. Whirling around, Ian saw that Mitch and Alan had temporarily pulled themselves away from the dome to check on him. And that they could all see and hear him again. "Dude! What're you doing, man? You're totally missing out on the action."

"What?"

"He means…" Mitch interjected with a bit of a sigh towards Alan. "That something is happening. I think it's over, and I think we should all be here together to face whatever comes out of the barrier. Just in case."

"Right!" Ian agreed hurriedly and rushed over to join them. As they moved back towards the edge of the barrier, Ian noted it wavering as the powers that fueled it begin to subside.

--------------------------

"You're through." Victor muttered, lowering his arms to his sides as Zaborg began to disappear.

"No!" Zaborg shouted as he fell to a knee with an impact that caused the ground to quake. The Stitched Tokens that had torn into him had already vanished, along with everything else created by the duel, but the injuries they had inflicted upon Zaborg still remained. "This isn't possible! How could a pathetic human defeat me!?" Growling in fury, Zaborg's fist glowed with energy as he pounded it into the ground. It was only then that he noticed his fist was becoming transparent. Just like the rest of him.

"Silly Monarch." Victor quipped with an eerie half smirk as he strode towards the fading Monarch. "This isn't about the difference between Duel Monsters and humans. This is about a difference in skill. And you, my friend, lack quite a lot more of it than you thought. The only reason you've gotten this far is because of just how weak your previous adversaries were."

"How dare you...!"

Victor stopped walking. He now stood barely a few feet from where Zaborg was kneeling. "Oh, I dare. And now look at you. I told you I would make you suffer. And now here you are, kneeling at my feet. How does it feel to know that your end was brought about by a lowly, pathetic _human_?"

"YOU!" Zaborg shouted, lashing out with his hand. Milly almost found herself jumping forward to rescue Victor from getting crushed in the monster's huge grip, but then she saw that Victor stood unfazed as the hand passed right through. If anyone was to look startled from that in fact, it was Zaborg.

"Heh!" Victor laughed. "See? It's over. You're own powers will now turn against you and lock yourself into a fit prison for your defeat. Goodbye, Zaborg. Good riddance."

Zaborg seemed ready to retort, but his ever vanishing form prevented him from making any noise as the last of him faded away. The only thing that remained of the once fearsome Thunder Monarch was a small object that lay at Victor's feet.

And with that, the white barrier surrounding the group suddenly began to waver. Ripples like rain hitting a pond spread across the dome's entire surface, growing wider and more fragmented as the energies sustaining slowly dwindled away. As the entire group inside of it watched, the dome wavered more and more, growing thinner as it expanded in size until eventually popped outwards like an oversized soap bubble. Ritsuko even seemed to shield her eyes, possibly to avoid getting any in her face. But no, the energy merely vanished as soon as it had appeared.

"One down." Victor noted as he bent down to pick up the object left behind by Zaborg.

That's when Ian called out to them. He and everyone else outside was glad to see that everyone who had gotten trapped inside the barrier was still alive and well. In fact, Ian almost forgot all about his intense dislike for Victor as he rushed forward to rejoin with the entire group, but it quickly came back as he approached the bespectacled duelist. "What's that you've got?" he asked Victor with his brow knotting slightly.

"It is proof that this Monarch is defeated." Victor answered as he held up the object in his hand. Ian saw that it was simply a Monster Card for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, the same as any he'd seen many a duelist use in their decks. The difference was that this one blazed with an unseen but still noticeable aura of malice and destruction. "Perhaps it is some higher power's idea of a cruel joke, but strong Duel Monsters defeated in a duel like this in their own realm are trapped within the card that represents them. I have yet to find a way in which they are released. Even if the card is played in a duel, it only produces a mindless copy of the monster, and not the true monster itself."

"Well, that's good for us." Mitch commented.

"Yes it is." Victor agreed as he slid the card into his pocket. "But this whole thing has pointed out to me several things that are not good for us. The first is this: the Monarchs know of us. I'm not sure how they gained this information so quickly. Maybe someone tipped them off to my games at Duel Academy. I'm not quite sure, but that's irrelevant. We need to move fast, and we need to cover a lot of ground. Coupling those two facts with the fact that a group of this size would attract far too much attention, and I'm sure you'll all understand why I'm putting forth the idea of splitting us up into two groups."

"That's a lot of fancy talk for what is basically the same thing Freddy says in every Scooby-Doo show." Lee replied with a grin. As he said that, he quickly struck a pose by placing his hands at his hips and grinning even wider. "Let's split up gang." All that was left was the ascot tied around his neck and the illusion would be complete.

"Yes…" Victor answered with an amused grin of his own. For that one instant, he seemed more human than he chose to let on. "That's precisely what I meant. The popular landmarks the Monarchs are known to inhabit form a sort of ring. We stand very close to where Zaborg's base is, which no doubt explains why he found us so quickly. From there, if one were to head west, they would encounter Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, followed by Mobius the Frost Monarch. Heading east from here, you run into Granmarg the Rock Monarch and then Raiza the Storm Monarch. Both eventually lead us to the worst of 'em all. Caius the Dark Monarch. I think it would be best if my old chum Alan take half of the group west while I'll head east with the rest. That way we can cover the Monarchs' territories in a quicker fashion."

"Okay, that's all well and good." Mitch commented with a wary frown. "But who's with who?"

For once, Victor appeared to have been put off guard by a question. He only blinked at first, almost amazed that he had forgotten such a detail, and then set his hand on his chin to stroke it idly. "Hmm… Good question." He nodded while he pulled out the small notepad he always carried from some hidden pocket. "But lucky for you, I always keep good answers in waiting." he smiled before he glanced down at the notepad in his hand and read off a list of names. "I'll send… oh, let's see… Alan off with Lee, Joe, Amy, and yourself, my dear Mitch. And Ritsuko, Ian, Milly, and Aaron will come with me. It's the best line-up I could think of in the time I've had to observe this group."

"You sure you didn't just think that up on the spot?" Joe questioned.

"Oh yes, quite sure. It provides balance, and I think your particular deck-types together add something to the group, as well as provide decent strategies against the Monarchs you will face."

"I don't like the idea of us splitting up," Ian found himself saying, "but I can't find anything to say that sounds better. Everything he just said makes sense."

"Unfortunately, I must agree." Joe added.

"Well, _I _am not going anywhere with him!" Milly argued as she glared at Victor. "I don't care if he's the last hope for the world or whatever; I am not sticking with him."

"Well that's unfortunate, but I'm sticking with it." Victor retorted with a sly grin and arched eyebrow. "I need to send the two Obelisks with Alan because keeping them with me would simply be overkill. Ian stays with me simply because I want to see that Toy Chimera of his once again. Lee's deck would be an ideal type to face Thestalos, and I don't think Amy is going anywhere without Mitch." Victor cast another sly glance in Amy's and Mitch's direction and cocked yet another trademark smirk of his. "Oh yes… I've seen how you two have been getting closer. Whether anything happens from it is beyond me caring, but a team works well if the members get along."

Hearing that was enough to bring a startled look to both Mitch and Amy's faces, as well as a very red blush to their cheeks. Before they knew it, they were looking away from each other in opposite directions like they were trying to hide the redness of their expressions. As if that would actually work. But regardless, Milly only ignored Amy and Mitch's embarrassing moment and continued pressing Victor for answers in her usual way. "Then why are you keeping me with you? If a team works well when it's members get along, then you and I don't stand a chance of functioning well! So why are we on the same team?!"

"Well…" Victor chuckled as he strolled himself towards Milly and slid the notepad back into his pocket. Then, suddenly and very much in a way that started everyone, Victor leaned forward quickly and stopped barely before colliding face to face with Milly. "That's because I like you."

What happened next was like something in one of those overly dramatic soap operas. "WHAT?!" Milly screeched, her face turning even redder than Mitch and Amy's as she jumped back from Victor. Everyone else was similarly surprised by Victor's sudden confession.

And then, he suddenly burst out into roaring fits of laughter. Long and loud, he stood there laughing. "Ha, you see? What's not to love? You bright up my day every time I put you off like that!" Victor continued, his body still seized in the moment of hilarity. "I have never met someone so easily upset as you, and I find it rather refreshing. Just that one phrase made you redder than a Slifer jacket."

Seeing Victor laugh at her simply infuriated the poor girl to no end, and soon her blush transformed into the redness that only came with blood vessel-bursting fury. Milly immediately overcame her shock and she stomped towards Victor once more to stab an accusing finger right into his chest. "_THAT....THAT... _You're....you can't be serious! Who do you think you are?! Saying something like that!"

"I think I'm Victor!" he laughed again, but this time he turned away as if to walk off the chuckles that still stuck with him.

"If I were anyone else, I'd have punched you for that. You're lucky I hold back on such things!" Milly huffed with her arms crossing as she turned in the opposite direction.

While everyone else still stood muted by the exchange of words, Victor finished off his chuckles and regained a serious face. "But no, seriously, I mean to keep the teams equal, and Alan's team is full as is. I've chosen them, given them a lot of thought and this is how they're going to be. Is anyone else going to argue that point?"

Silence hung over the air as no one seemed to be able to bring up a valid point. Ritsuko opened her mouth, but immediately closed as she stopped the idea before it even came out. Milly looked back and forth among the group, hoping to find someone with an idea that could fix things. "_And I can't even think of a reason myself. Curse you Victor and this situation you've gotten me into."_

"Then we're in agreement." Victor smiled. "Now onto my second point, which I arrived at during that duel we all just witnessed in one way or another. I should've warned you earlier, but sometimes this realm can change people. It's said to bring out hidden qualities of folk, showing their true selves to the world. I've heard it has turned mutes into psychopaths and murderers into martyrs, but I've never actually seen it myself. And yes, before any of you ask, I _was_ always like this, thank you very much. Anyone who doesn't want to risk a change in themselves can leave now right back through that portal, although you might want to mind the stairs."

Again, only silence followed Victor's voice, a quiet and complete agreement that there was no going back, only forward. "I've always lived as true to myself as I can." Mitch began slowly. "And if this place is just going to make that more obvious, then so be it. It's not like we can walk away, especially after your spat with Zaborg there."

"Yeah…" Ritsuko murmured. "After seeing what that...that...that thing was, I can't leave now."

"You're not getting rid of any of us." Amy said solemnly.

"And that's a fact." Lee chuckled.

"And as much as I hate to agree, I'm afraid I have to." said Joe, though his expression was anything but pleased.

Aaron only nodded his assent.

"Very good." Victor nodded in return. "Then I suggest we part ways now without too much hubbub. With Zaborg's flashiness, it's only a matter of time before more of the Monarchs' cohorts come to investigate the area, and I want us all long gone before then."

"Right." Joe commented and then turned to Alan. "And since you know this place better than the rest of us, lead the way."

"Oh right, dude," Alan answered, almost as if coming out of daze. "Let's boogie. Mmkay, folks, let's boogie. Victor, dude, have fun with your guys. I'll see you dudes and dudettes later when we meet up at that Caius guy's place."

"Right, indeed." Victor nodded again. "Then, let's start moving. Everyone, best of luck and watch out. This world has more than its share of surprises, and I don't want to find either team showing up with fewer members than they left with.

Everyone nodded and exchanged quick comments with each other before quickly splitting into the pre-selected groups and moving in their own directions. "_Here we go_." Ian thought, then reached down to his spare deck box, thinking of the contents inside. "_Hopefully the influence of this world won't make me resort to using you. I don't ever want _that_ to happen to the world again."_

NC: Round and Round


	17. Chapter 17

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 17  
**--------------------------  
**

"Face it." Joe scowled mildly at Alan. "You've gotten us lost." The words were spoken with his usual analytical deadpan, but the irritation flaring in his eyes as he anxiously paced to and fro around a large rock was unmistakable. After traveling on foot for days on end, he and the rest of the group had finally managed to exit the barren wastes of the Mystic Plasma Zone and had stumbled into an area of green grass, tall trees, rolling meadows, and a perpetually blue sky. It was a welcome change, but pleasant scenery eventually lost its charms when one was sure that they had been doing nothing but traveling in circles since then. He couldn't even begin to guess how much time had been wasted since the group had decided to rest at this spot and waste even more time. All he had to go by were his tired feet, aching muscles, and the number of times he had seen Alan look up from a strange map he held, look off in a random direction, and then shake his head and mutter something before going back to reading the map. In a word, Joe felt this was utterly ridiculous.

And it was really starting to get on his nerves.

"Aw come on, man." Alan chuckled with his nose still buried in the map's folds. "I'm certain that the next town is just beyond that next grove. Or were we supposed to follow that river...aw man..." He began turning the map every which direction in an attempt to make something out.

"See?! I knew it!" Joe exclaimed. "Why on Earth would the idea of you leading be a viable suggestion? I honestly cannot see what Victor saw in you."

"Aw come on, man, lighten up, dude. We'll, like, get there in no time." Alan chuckled weakly as he looked up from the map and offered an equally weak smile to Joe. Quite frankly, all it did was make him look even more spaced out.

"Lighten up on him, will ya?" Mitch muttered from his seat on a large rock, his elbows resting on his knees as he sat leaning forward. "It's not like any of the rest of us know this place any better. And complaining about it won't get us to our destination any faster."

"Hmph…" Joe scoffed with his arms folded indignantly over his chest. "I'll have you know I'm an expert at map reading. If he'd just let me take a look at it…" he trailed off while he tried to look over Alan's shoulder.

"No way, dude." Alan countered as he promptly folded up the map and shrank away from Joe. "Like, Victor left me in charge, and only the dude in charge can check the map, man. It's, like, a rule, dude."

"Argh…" Joe growled quietly, his hands reaching for his hair as if he were about to start pulling it out. "A rule? Are you serious?" Of course, knowing Alan, he realized that was likely a silly question to ask. With a somewhat defeated sigh, the boy let his hands fall to his sides before he fixed his full attention on Alan, a dangerous gleam shining in the corner of one eye. "Fine, if that's the way you want it." Joe replied to Alan. "I'll take lead and get us out of the mess you've put us in. It's been days since we parted ways with the others and all you've done is lead us in circles."

"Dude, I have so not led you in circles. This map just hates me."

That made one of Joe's eyebrows twitch. "It can't hate you, it has no feelings!" Joe countered, his voice completely flat as he stared at Alan. "_How on Earth could you get pass the bar? Is there even a bar in this crazy world?"_ Joe liked to think he was an accepting person, but this man was testing his last thread of patience.

"Well… It does, man, so like stick a fork in it, alright? Seriously." Alan muttered in reply as he continued to stare at the map, even going so far as to turn it upside-down in his hands.

"Egads! That does it!" Joe shouted and threw his hands up in the air. Lee was stretched out on the grass, while Amy and Mitch were both perched on a pile of rocks, all of which turned to look at Joe and his outburst with mild interest. "I say I've had enough of this one and we need a new leader, someone who can focus on the facts and make a logical deduction from them rather than randomly guess at which way we should be going. We need decisive action if we're going to make it through this crazy world!"

"And that would be you, I'm guessing." Mitch interpreted with a subtle arch of his eyebrow. "I like decisive whatever as much as the next guy, but isn't Alan here the only guy who actually knows this world?"

"But that's beyond the point!" Joe argued. "He obviously can't read the map. Surely I can handle such a simple task like that."

"Pal, it's a bit more than that." Lee chuckled, his tone ever so jovial as it always was. "I think this world has a bit more in store for us, if you know what I mean. And I think our friend Alan here is better suited for running us through all of that."

"Oh _come on,_ people!" Joe shouted again. "Just think about it. Even if he does know this world, what has he gotten us?"

"You mean besides us being forced to listen to you give speeches until you're blue in the face?" Amy replied with a wry grin.

Joe only replied with a sour look. "Har Har… Very fun-…" he started to say, but he was suddenly cut off by strange two voices that rang out from the trees surrounding them all. In a way, they sounded a little familiar, but were so absurd at the same that it made listening to them impossible with a straight face.

"Bring fear and obedience throughout the realms..."

"And doing it without wearing ugly helms..."

"Defeating duelists for our lord...."

"We lead the way for his mighty horde..."

Suddenly, two figures darted out of the surrounding trees and came to a spot near where the group was resting. Both of them wore identical silver coats over a uniform several shades darker. One was a female with long red hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, while the other was male and had his black hair short and trimmed. And as if that wasn't enough, a tiny red fox with an even tinier flame on the tip of its tail followed them out and came to stand in a ridiculous pose between them.

"Jenna!" exclaimed the woman.

"Jake." Followed the man, but with a somewhat aristocratic tone.

"Fox Fire's da name!" cheered the little red fox.

The woman pirouetted in place, revealing a large black Z emblazoned on the back of her coat as the man darted past her, throwing his right arm and leg out in front of her. She finished up her twirl and placed her left arm and leg in front of his as the both called out simultaneously, "Team Zaborg flashes with an unearthly light, so prepare for a duel that's out of sight!" The whole maneuver left them standing together with the arms stretched out, their duel disks in standby mode resting against each other as their legs crossed. And then, after striking that pose with their little companion standing right in the middle, Fox Fire placed one tiny hand on his hip and pointed the other straight up at the sky. "RAWR! That's right!" he called out joyfully.

And then… Somehow… Despite everything that was sane and rational… A pair of hidden roman candles ignited on both sides of the trio, completing their entrance with bursts of multi-colored flare.

Needless to say, words had failed to describe the sheer idiocy of what the group had just saw. "What the...?" Joe muttered before smacking his palm into his forehead. "_Just when I thought this world couldn't get any crazier. What are these people? Circus folk?"_

"We are the champions of the mighty Monarch Zaborg, Jenna and Jake!" the woman, apparently Jenna announced while also cackling into the back of her hand.

"So yes…" Jake mused while somehow producing a flower out of thin air into his hand. "We shall make you pay for what you have done to our lord and release his from his imprisonment."

"Ain't dat da truth!" cheered Fox Fire.

This…. was simply ridiculous. Joe sighed in exasperation as the rest of the group either stood up or congregated around Joe and Alan, who was also folding up and putting away the map. Nobody seemed to look worried, and Amy and Lee even seemed to be attempting to hold back laughter.

"Aww… Look at that! He's so much cuter in person than he is on the card!" Amy smiled as she bent forward to get a better look at Fox Fire, which only seemed to make the little beast nervous and shy when he saw her staring at him.

"H-hey! What're you lookin' at, ya dumb broad!? Can't ya see that I'm busy here!?"

Amy only wrinkled her nose at that. "Though, I can't say much for that attitude of his. Or that "scorched fur" smell. Yuck."

"HEY!? What's dat supposed ta mean!? I don't stink!"

"Tell that to my nose, Tiny." Amy retorted.

"What is this?" Mitch scoffed with a sarcastic frown as he eyed the two humans and their pet Fox Fire. "An anime convention's worst nightmare? Alan, just who are these three?"

"Oh man, hold on." Alan answered, shaking his head as if trying to jog the memories was a monumental effort. After a bit, he finally opened his eyes and answered. "Oh yeah, that's right. They're a couple of crazy dudes who work for Zaborg."

"Well that much is obvious." Joe spat. "They just said that. Do you know anything _relevant_ about them?"

"I hear they're not bad duelists, but they have a flair for like, the dramatic, you know?"

"I see." Joe replied dryly.

"So…" Jenna announced loudly while she relaxed out of her pose, her hand coming to rest on a cocked hip. "You kiddies scared yet?"

"Ha ha ha ha… " Jake laughed ever so drolly. "If you give up now, we might go easy on you. Or we might not…" he continued, chuckling as he brushed some hair out of his face with the flower. Suddenly he burst out aloud, flailing his hands but leaving the flower behind. Then as suddenly as it had struck, the Rainbow Flower let go of his ear, dropping to the ground with a growl before it crawled off in search of the pot it had been pulled from.

"Preposterous." Joe muttered, ignoring the scene before him . "Looks like we'll have to deal with them if we want to get anywhere without a problem." With that, he reached into the deck holster clipped to the back of his best and retrieved his prized deck. "_And just the chance to prove what I'm made of."_ Joe chuckled at the thought as he raised his duel disk and powered it up, lights flashing as the crescent-shaped section slid out and extended to become the Monster Zone.

"Oh, it seems the little brat has a spine…" Jenna laughed into the back of her hand, her other arm lifting her Duel Disk to activate it.

Jake also raised his arm and activated his, as well. "We'll teach him a lesson, won't we?"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Alan suddenly called out and rushed up next to Joe. "Dude, mindstorm, dude." he said to Joe excitedly. "Hey, you crazies up for like, a tag match?"

"Crazies?! The nerve!" Jenna gasped furiously with her face turning red. "Bring it on, twerps! We'll crush you even faster that way."

And that was an uncharacteristically cunning gleam suddenly shone in Alan's eyes. "Alright dudes…" Alan chuckled a bit more darkly than what was normal for him before turning his attention to Joe. "So… You wanna, like, figure out who leads from now on? Alright man, I can respect that. Then, like, let's see who can knock down more of their Life Points. Whoever does that gets to be the group leader. That kosher with you, man?"

"An interesting proposition…" Joe noted while stroking his chin. "I accept your wager." This opportunity was almost too good to be true, but he also realized that he couldn't afford to pass this up. Not if he and the others were supposed to be getting somewhere anytime soon. That, and well… He just loved the idea of showing up Alan at his own game. "_This will be a piece of cake as long as I have my Muka Mukas. Their strength and my tactics will flatten anything those two circus crazies can throw out, and put me a step above this...dull wit."_

"Ha ha ha ha…" Jake laughed again. "Then, let us duel!"

"Yer goin' down, ya punks!" Fox Fire jeered with a large grin of tiny fangs while holding up a victory sign with two fingers. Something about that little beast just made Joe want to pound it into submission, but he refused to let his thoughts drag him down to that sort of level. Instead, he only slid his deck into the slot on his Duel Disk and prepared to give these three idiots what for. And prove to everyone else that he should be the leader, not Alan.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000

"I'll make the first move!" Jake announced as he drew his first card. "Now, feast your eyes on this beauty. I summon the Fire Princess to the field. Then, I set two facedown cards and end."

From that moment, the duel had truly begun. A pair of facedown cards materialized on Jake's field as he had played them, followed by another that had taken a spot directly between himself and Joe, but then it suddenly combusted into a small fireball that grew and shaped itself into a human form. In the end, what now stood facing Joe and Alan was not a raging inferno, but a regal young woman clad in a dress of vibrant scarlet with a matching hooded cape and holding a short staff made to resemble a rod of spiraling flame. She faced the two duelists with a cold glare that seemed unfitting of her fiery entrance.

"_Fire Princess?"_ Joe thought to himself as he regarded the monster critically._ "She only has 1300 ATK, so he's probably got some protection lined up there behind her." _He deduced that it would be unwise to attack Jake's monster just yet, especially when he wasn't about what those two face-downs that he had played actually were. Knowing that, it would be better if he marshalled his own forces first, along with getting a better idea of what this "Team Zaborg" was up to. With that, Joe nodded once to himself and drew his card. "My turn." he declared with a business-like tone. "After placing two of my own facedown cards, I'll also summon one monster. I play the Giant Rat, in Attack Position. I end my turn after that."

Just then, the card Joe had played flashed into play and revealed a rat of enormous proportions sitting idly on its hind legs on his side of the field. It was gnawing on what appeared to be a human skull, but its glittering yellow eyes were fixed upon Jake's only monster. It hissed out a threat at the Fire Princess before returning its attention to the skull, it's large and sharp teeth glistening in the dappled sunlight.

"Hmph!" Jenna scoffed. "If that's all, then you won't keep up, twerp. I start by summoning the Rapid-Fire Magician."

As she played her card, a flash of arcane light brought forth a mage who brandished two claw-like rods with an orb clenched between their talons, along with several other orbs of varying colors that levitated around him. His outfit was a mix of a mage's black robes and a stylish trench coat, complete with a leather shirt and leather pants that were modified with bits of armor attached to them. Dark makeup covered each eye and his hair was a very light shade of lavender. In a way, this mage was more like a punk rocker than a true magician, though the orbs were proof enough of his magical might and ability. His face held a gentle but wry smirk as he regarded Joe and Alan, his arm lifted to point one of his rods in challenge at them.

The smirk on Jenna's face mirrored the one on Rapid-Fire Magician's almost perfectly. "And now I activate the Spell Card, Magical Blast, which hits an opponent for 200 points for every Spellcaster I control. Fortunately for you, I have only one, but that is good enough for now." With that, the red-haired woman cocked a slender eyebrow and tapped her lips with a single finger in thought, as if debating on what kind of shoes she should wear for the day. But then, her smile widened into an arrogant and evil grin, and her eyes flickered to Alan. "And I chose to aim this at you!" she cackled, pointing to Alan. "The lowly fool who would dare call me crazy."

All of a sudden, Rapid-Fire Magician brought up one of his rods and pointed its jeweled tip straight at Alan, an eldritch glow gathering within the rod's clenched orb. And then, once the magicks contained in the Spell had gathered enough energy, he swept his rod across at Alan and unleashed the orb's power, which was a large purple sphere covered with rippling waves of red. The sphere slammed into Alan's chest and had nearly knocked him right off his feet, but the strange duelist had somehow managed to tilt his body at the correct angle to deflect the worst of the magical shot's power. Even so, the damage had already been done.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

4000 | 3800 | 4000 | 4000

However, Alan's troubles were not quite over yet. Almost immediately after he had recovered his balance, Jenna let out another arrogant laugh into the back of her hand and smiled like she had already won the duel. "Oh, I do apologize, but I seem to have forgotten my dear mage's special ability. He can inflict 400 points of damage to any opponent whenever I activate a Normal Spell. And since Magical Blast fits that description… Heeheehee… Rapid-Fire Magician, unleash another blast upon that lowly fool once more."

And with that, Rapid-Fire Magician revealed his other staff from behind his back just long enough to show the green aura that had built up around the orb held at its tip, and then fired off a ray of acidic green at Alan once more. The attack slammed squarely into the middle of the Alan's chest and pushed him back at least a few paces, but he was somehow able to remain standing once again. The only reaction he gave to the magical assault was a somewhat dazed expression and a blink of the eyes. Then again, that wasn't anything different from what he was like normally.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

4000 | 3400 | 4000 | 4000

"Argh… Whoa." Alan muttered as he rubbed his shoulder where at the spot where the blast had connected. "By the way, man." he said to Joe. "You might not see that annoying, like ,barrier that Victor and Zaborg had, but don't think you're safe. If you lose here, then it's game over for real, man."

"I'll keep that in mind." Joe answered dryly. "But I think you should be more concerned with yourself." His words were confident, but it was a slightly different story on the inside. His eyes regarded the mage and princess warily, his mind working to determine the basis of his opponents' decks. From what he had seen, they were much more used to working in tandem together than he and Alan were, and their decks had been made to complement each other. "_I've got to watch out for her burn. That's obviously how they intend to win judging from what I've seen so far." _he deduced.

"Thanks dude, but I got it covered." Alan chuckled to Joe as he drew his first card, and judging by the smile spreading over his face, it looked like it was a good draw. "Now… Dig this, dudes and dudette. I start by playing this crazy Spell Card, Double Summon, which gives me an extra Normal Summon for the turn. So after I throw down a set monster, I think I'll use that extra Normal Summon to bring out my Alien Shocktrooper. Yeah… Like, groovy."

A facedown card flashed into play and was shortly followed by the emergence of a large creature resembling a centaur, but with the body of some sort of bizarre four-legged lizard-like beast and the upper torso of a reptilian monster. It carried a large curved blade, probably a falchion, and wore gleaming black armor over its chest, shoulders, and hips above the creature's two front legs. Each leg ended in cruelly curved and webbed talons that looked strong enough to tear through solid steel, and the vicious gleam in its eyes hinted that it did exactly that for fun. It bellowed and reared up on its hind legs, brandishing its blade and an impressive 1900 Attack Points.

With the arrival of his monster, Alan smiled and was actually starting to look coherent enough to take the duel seriously. But only a little. "And like, with that I think I'll launch an attack against that little Fire Princess dudette." he said while pointing a skinny finger at the young woman clad in red on Jake's field.

The alien centaur let loose another bellow and raised its sword to mow down the Fire Princess, its front paws clawing at the dirt as it began its charge. Malice and feral bloodlust shone in the creature's movements and fanged smile and it had already crossed half the distance between it and the Fire Princess in no time at all, its sword raised to cleave the princess's head from her shoulders.

"As if…" Jake snorted in response. "I activate Negate Attack, which can stop your monster's attack and end the Battle Phase. Better luck next time, ol' chap." With his spoken command, one of Jake's facedown cards rose up to reveal its power, but nothing else seemed to happen besides that. At least, that was until the Alien Shocktrooper had slammed right into an invisible barrier that separated it from its intended prey, the Fire Princess. For a moment, it almost seemed like the creature would burst from rage, and it slashed its sword across the barrier as if trying desperately to still reach the girl it shielded. But, it was all in vain and the bizarre centaur was eventually forced to return to Alan's field.

"Whoa, dude, guess not." Alan chuckled almost apologetically to the Shocktrooper. "Alright man, guess I'll pass it over to you." he said to Jake.

"Indeed, but before I let you end, I think I'll reveal my other Trap. Solemn Wishes. With this, I gain 500 Life Points every time I draw a card." And once again, the second of Jake's face-down cards rose up and revealed itself. This time it bore a picture of a fair maiden caught in the midst of a pleasant rain shower. Though, as far as Joe and Alan were concerned, that card would prove be anything but pleasant for them.

"_So that's his plan. Why, it's practically the same as Jenna's. With the two of them both possessing Burn Decks, this could get tricky. Not only that, but if Jake keeps raising his Life Points faster than we can deplete them… Oh dear." _Joe suddenly realized he'd need to act faster if he was to stop these two before he began to lose Life Points as well.

"And as I draw, I gain the mentioned Life Points. But just as that happens, Fire Princess also deals out 500 damage to an opponent even as I heal myself. Strike now, my royal highness, and tear down he who hides behind that filthy rat."

The Fire Princess nodded to him warmly as a green glow of health surrounded Jake, but then that cold scowl from before returned to face when she turned her attention upon Joe. Lifting one end of her short staff at him, the princess began to chant words that were too soft for anyone to hear clearly, but the growing flames gathering at the tip of her staff were enough of a hint to what she was planning to do. And then, with a sudden and dignified shout, Fire Princess lifted her staff overhead and swung it down at the ground in front of her feet. The glowing tip connected with the earth and a wave of fire was unleashed upon Joe and washed over him, burning away a portion of his Life Points to a crisp.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3500 | 3400 | 4000 | 4500

"And that's just the beginning." Jake announced triumphantly. "For now I activate the Spell Card, Foolish Burial, and toss Marie the Fallen One from my Deck to the Graveyard. But don't think I don't have something here that won't protect my princess." he sneered derisively. "Now I activate Swords of Revealing Light. That should keep you ruffians out for a while."

Immediately following the activation of his first Spell card, a barrage of swords crafted of angelic light came soaring down from the sky and headed for a spot in the middle of the duel field. But instead of crashing into the earth, they instead came to a sudden half about a foot and half above the ground and rearranged themselves into wall of blades, effectively blocking of Joe and Alan's monsters from attacking. "How unfortunate this won't last as long as normal, but enough for now. I end."

"You're proving to be quite a nuisance." Joe scoffed indignantly. "But that ends here. First, I will activate Fissure, which will destroy Fire Princess." he declared with more of that imperturbable and business-like tone, just as a swiftly widening chasm opened up beneath Fire Princess's feet and swallowed her into its dark depths. The echoes of her terrified screams still rang in the air even as the chasm closed like a mouth filled with sharp teeth.

Not only that, but Jake actually seemed a little…furious about this latest turn of events. He turned upon Joe with a glare, his face stricken and losing color. "Now see here, you little peasant-…"

"But I'm not done yet." Joe interrupted sharply. "I also activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Swords of Revealing Light." His second spell flashed into play, sending forth howling winds and a swirling vortex to shred the angelic swords that barred his way. "And with all that gone, my hand feels a little light. But not to worry, I activate both of my traps to fix that. And they both happen to be Reckless Greed. This gives me four new cards, but makes me skip my next two draws. It's a small price to pay for what it gave me. I then set one card and summon my Muka Muka, who gains an additional 1200 Attack Points since I have four cards in hand, which then puts it at a grand total of 1800 Attack Points."

All of a sudden, cracks that spewed volcanic gasses spread all over the earth in front of Joe, spreading wider and causing the ground to shift as if something below was burrowing up through the soil. And burrowing _fast. _Then, with a final loud crack, the rocky and bizarre form of Muka Muka came bursting through to the surface and landed with a solid thump on the ground. In a nutshell, it looked like someone had taken an enormous insect or crustacean and switched its exoskeleton with a layer of jagged rock lined with volcanic vents along the back. A high and chittering shriek was from Muka Muka as it centered its compound eyes on the enemies before it, an angry burst of steam blasting from the vents on its back.

And after all of that, the look on Jake's face had just gone considerably paler. "Hmph, not good." the aristocratic young man muttered.

Fox Fire didn't seem too pleased, either. "JAKE! What'ya doin'!? He just blew through yer cards like they were scrap paper! Are ya gonna take that from the likes o'-…"

_CRACK!_

That, dear readers, was the sound of Jenna and Jake pounding their fists into the little Fox Fire's poor noggin'. "Shut up, Fox Fire!" they both shouted in unison, their faces red with nearly comedic fury towards their little partner.

"Jerks…" Fox Fire muttered from his heap on the ground.

"Indeed." Joe grinned. "But don't worry, you won't be hurt first. Instead, I'll take out that Rapid-Fire Magician to start with. Charge him, Muka Muka, with Sulfuric Crush."

At the command, the strange and rocky creature blasted steam a billowing cloud of super-heated steam and flame from the vents on its back and charged straight at Jenna's Rapid-Fire Magician like a many-legged locomotive. The sound of its many claws clacking together as it ran filled the air with a terrible and ominous noise that unsettled even the stoutest of hearts. And then, with a final shriek and another burst of flame and steam from its vents, the Muka Muka simply mowed down Jenna's mage without even slowing down. Rapid-Fire Magician wasn't even able to defend himself against Muka Muka's heavy onslaught, and an explosion rocked the field as soon as he was destroyed.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3500 | 3400 | 3800 | 4000

"But don't thing you've been spared there." Joe called out as he set his attention upon Jake. "I'll sic the Giant Rat on _you_ now." And with that, the huge rodent let out a hissing shriek of its own and dropped the skull it had been gnawing on in favor of something more.. _meatier._ It bounded after Jake in great leaping strides, fangs flashing in the sun as it slashed them across his chest. It never left a wound, but the pain marring the other male's face was quite real.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3500 | 3400 | 3800 | 2600

"You little twerp… Jenna muttered as she dusted herself off before drawing her next card, "you'll pay for that! And here's how. I summon forth Blast Magician, but he won't stick around long. Instead, I play the spell Magical Dimension." she exclaimed while holding up a triumphant fist over her chest, just as a strange magical energy flowed out of her activated card and formed a frame of tubes and chains with the two halves of a casket held suspended in the center, which then snapped shut over her own monster. "This lets me Tribute a monster on the field to summon a Spellcaster from my hand, assuming I had one on the field to begin with. So come forth, Chaos Command Magician!"

The barriers of the box solidified and became opaque, and then collapsed in before exploding outwards to reveal a much larger and more powerful magician. Like his predecessor the Rapid-Fire Magician, the Chaos Command Magician was also clad in an outfit of tight leather, but his was much more regal than that. It was dark jade in color and was trimmed with golden patterns that accented the many sharp angles of the mage's outfit. His long and flowing cape was trimmed in the same fashion, complete with a mantle that almost reached his elbows, and the wizard's hat upon his head curved sharply like a dangerous hook. He also carried a large scepter that he held like a wand, a large ruby sparking at its head to draw in eldritch power. Everything about this mage spoke of power and lethal control, like the blade the angles of his outfit were emulating.

Jenna couldn't help but smile at this. "And then I get Magical Dimension's second effect." Jenna added, " I can now destroy a monster on opponent controls. So, say good bye to your ugly little reptile there." she sneered, just as another casket that was identical to the one that released Chaos Command Magician snapped up Alan's monster. The sound of the creature inside thrashing furiously inside was heard by all, but then something happened inside to silence it forever. The sound of a spring was heard, followed by the sharp roar of pain and surprise from the Alien Shocktrooper. The box promptly vanished after that.

"Dude, totally not cool." Alan shouted as he saw the death of his own monster.

"And now for other troubles." Jenna continued, setting her eyes on Joe. "Crush his Muka Muka. Show him what happens when he messes with my Spellcasters."

On her order, Chaos Command Magician pointed the tip of his scepter at Muka Muka and started channeling arcane power into the jewel at its tip. The ruby flared brightly, like a tiny dwarf star taken from space, drawing in vast amounts of power that caused the wind to stir all around the duelists.

"Hmph!" Joe growled. "Not before I activate a Trap. Go, Jar of Greed!" At that, a small, grinning jar flashed into play just long enough to give Joe an extra card for his hand and Muka Muka an extra 300 Attack Points. It wasn't much, but every little bit helped at that point. "_At least it'll ease the blow." _Joe thought as Chaos Command Magician released a bolt of power that lanced right through Muka Muka, sending up a cloud of smoke that billowed in all directions.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3200 | 3400 | 3800 | 2600

"You're only delaying the inevitable." Jenna laughed. "In the end we will defeat all of you and reclaim victory for our lord Zaborg."

"And not only will we take victory, but we'll take your cards too." Jake added arrogantly.

"Great… So we've got grown adults ambushing kids in the forest and stealing their allies from them. You three are so pathetic, it's laughable." Joe grumbled. "And don't think I'll give up my Muka Mukas so easily. If that's your goal, I'll make you regret ever thinking of coming to stand against us." Again, his words sounded confident, but he wasn't so sure if his words were really accurate on the inside. "_Although, with the way this duel is going, I might not be able to fight much longer. It keeps going back and forth, but they always end up on top. I don't even have higher Life Points than Alan! I've got to turn things around_."

He stopped in that thought as he turned to his ally. "_And speaking of which, you can start doing something useful right about now."_

Said person was in the middle of his draw a he noticed Joe's gaze. "Don't worry, dude." Alan laughed cheerfully oblivious to the danger around them. "I've, like, got a handle on things and stuff. Although, if you wanna get lead dude, you better keep track of your Life Points." The duelist chuckled as he pointed to the Life Point tracker on his duel disk before turning back to the opponents. "Now let's get this party started." he continued, a strange gleam forming in his eye.

NC: Feel the Burn!


	18. Chapter 18

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 18  
**--------------------------  
**

"I'm glad to see you're still so optimistic…" Joe deadpanned. "But I for one am unsure. Do show me what you have in mind, please."

"Heh heh…" Alan sniggered in that Shaggy and Scooby Doo way of his. "Watch and learn dude. I said I was gonna start partying, but you can't have a kickin' party without settin' it up dude, so I'll start with Swords of Revealing Light." Once again, several long blades of radiant white light came shooting straight down from the sky and into the ground, forming an effective fence in the center of the duel field. "Next I'll set a facedown and then I play Corruption Cell "A". This little number throws a nifty A-Counter on your magey dude there." And with that, Alan's Spell card flashed into play and ejected a small but grotesque parasite that flew across the field towards Chaos Command Magician. With a sickening suction sound, it latched onto the mage's shoulder and uttered a series of wet chittering sounds that made everyone but Alan's skin crawl. Chaos Command Magician was so disgusted he seemed to be on the verge of vomiting.

"What the!...? How dare you defile him with that abomination!" Jenna exclaimed in horror and fury. "You'll pay for that!"

"Duuuude…" Alan cut her off by holding his hand up. "Like, totally not done yet. This last card is a little thing called Alien Mars, and I'll be summoning him to field like...now!"

Alan laughed as if he'd just made the worlds' greatest joke as he slapped the card down. The larger version materialized into play, bringing with it yet another otherworldly visitor. This one possessed a barely humanoid torso, but that was where the human characteristics ended. Its head was disproportionately larger to the rest of its body, and was slightly elongated in the back. There was also the fact that it was a pasty white with several red orbs embedded in its chest and a single large one in its forehead. It also stood upon three purplish tentacles, two growing out of its shoulder and the third growing out the bottom of the torso. Rather than a mouth, it only possessed a vertical slit that opened and shut like an insect's mandibles, but were nowhere near as powerful. As it took to the field, it noted the Chaos Command Magician for a moment before its orbs began to glow. The parasitic A-Counter on Chaos Command Magician began to resonate with the same glow, weakening the spellcaster. "With this dude out, all your monsters with the A-Counter-ness are like...drained of their special abilities."

"Well then…" Jake smirked a bit nervously. He idly brushed a stray lock of hair behind his hair before allowing his gaze to move from the bizarre being that Alan had summoned. "I think it's my turn. I draw, and once again am healed by Solemn Wishes, as well as Marie the Fallen One."

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3200 | 3400 | 3800 | 3300

The green glow once again returned to cover Jake and restored some of his lost Life Points and arrogant confidence. "And now I bring another of my beauties to the field. I bring out the White Magician Pikeru."

A flash of bright light lit up the field for a few moments before a larger version of Jake's card materialized on his side. Then, with a soft little "Pop!" of white smoke, a cute little wizard girl in a poofy white robe and a hat shaped like a Stray Lamb stood where the card had been. She chuckled lightly as she held onto her hat with her free hand. "This little cutie increases my Life Points by 200 for every monster I control during my Standby Phase. But she's awfully defenseless, so I'll play my own Double Summon and bring out her guardian! Reveal yourself, Magician's Valkyria!"

Another bright light burst on Jake's side of the field, only to fade away as the shapely outline of another sorceress came into view. She seemed to be a teenager around the same age as Joe. She was dressed in robes strikingly similar to the Dark Magician Girl's, though of a slightly different design and color scheme. One could almost say that the two had come from the same school of Dark Magic, and their clothing was the school uniforms of two different classes.

Jake couldn't stop himself from grinning at his Valkyria's marvelous presence. It was obvious by now that Jake appreciated things of beauty, so he had designed his Deck to reflect that. Beautiful and dangerous. Just like him. Or so he thought. "Her effect shields all my other Spellcasters from being attacked. My little Pikeru is safe from that…. freak's attacks." His gaze swept to Joe. "And you, too." he sneered.

"_But with only 1600 ATK of her own, she's a weak target. I'll need to find a way to kill her fast before Pikeru gives him too many Life Points." _Joe was sure he had this guy's strategy pegged down. He was playing a Cure and Burn Deck; a deck focused on burning the opponent while healing yourself. The ever widening gap it created could prove extremely disheartening to lesser duelists. That thought brought a little smirk to the boy's lips as he pushed his glasses up on his face. "_But, I am _not_ a lesser duelist."_

"And now to destroy that eyesore of a beast!" Jake proclaimed. "Magician's Valkyria, destroy that Giant Rat right now!" The only acknowledgement the wizardess gave to Jake's command was a slight nod and a determined glare to the rat on Joe's field. She gripped her staff tightly, sparks of white lightning dancing all over its length and gathering at the spiraling and jeweled tip. She lifted it over head, and with a curt shout, unleashed a bolt of surging electricity upon Joe's Giant Rat. The lightning pierced through the poor creature with ease, and the only sounds it made was a chattering squeak before it exploded.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3000 | 3400 | 3800 | 3300

Meanwhile, Joe could only stand by and shield his eyes from the flying dust of his rat's explosive demise. However… He was smiling beneath his arm. "I should thank you for that." Joe retorted, a wide grin on his face even as his Life Points dropped. "You see, by destroying him in combat, you've triggered my Giant Rat's special ability. When it's destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Earth-Attribute monster from my Deck. And that means I get to bring out my Enraged Muka Muka with no Tribute."

Another fissure cracked the ground open as soon as Joe spoke those words. A piercing shriek could be heard echoing down far below in the fissure, but whatever had made it was nearing the surface and fast. Then, with a giant push through the earth, another monster like Muka Muka came bursting through. But this… this was not merely another Muka Muka. It was much bigger than the one before, and therefore even deadlier. Like its little relative, the Enraged Muka Muka was also a creature of living rock. However, whereas the regular Muka Muka strongly resembled a craggy crustacean, the Enraged Muka Muka was more like a crab mixed with a frog. As it landed upon the surface, it sat on the ground like a massive toad and the glowing orange sac around its throat expanded with volcanic gasses each time it took a breath. Blasts of sulfur were also released from the vents on its back.

It also boasted 3200 Attack Points.

"Wait!" Jake exclaimed suddenly. The look on his face said that he had been completely taken aback by the size of the monster facing him. "I thought you said the monster to be summoned had to have 1500 or less Attack Points!"

Honestly, Joe could never get enough of it when an opponent had that reaction. "I did, and he did." Joe calmly explained. "You see, Enraged Muka Muka only has 1200 Attack Points before he hits the field, but he grows quickly as he gains 400 more for every card in my hand. And with five cards in hand, he goes up by 2000 points."

"Blast!" Jake exclaimed. "I end. But don't even start thinking I'm anywhere near done with you."

"Ha… As if." Joe remarked. "With the strength of my Deck, you have no chance. And now I believe I'll prove that." Joe murmured to himself, then looked forward as he declared, "Alright, I skip my draw, the last one held up by the Reckless Greed cards I played earlier."

"Wait! You played two of them earlier!" Jake exclaimed. "You should have to skip another two!"

"Yes, but I played them both at the same time. In that case, both of their effects would activate simultaneously and would overlap. I've still skipped two draws for each one, but each draw also counted towards both. Now would you kindly shut up and let me continue?" Joe retorted with authority. He was starting to have enough of these interruptions, honestly. "_That way, I can wipe the smug look off your face."_ he thought with a smug look of his own. "As I was saying, I don't need to draw. Not when I have my Enraged Muka Muka with me." he commented, turning his gaze as his partner for a moment, "I hope you were planning something good with that A-Counter. If that's the case, I'll leave Chaos Command Magician to you and instead sic Enraged Muka Muka on the Magician's Valkyria." With that, he turned to the rocky monster sitting so patiently on his field. "Go! Attack the Valkyria with Steaming Sulfur Torrent!"

A bright red light flashed in the creature's eyes upon hearing Joe's command, though it didn't seem to make a move right away. Instead, the largest of the Muka Muka slowly opened its enormous toad-like jaws and inhaled a mighty breath that made its mouth seem like a black hole. And then, it suddenly expelled a huge jet of superheated volcanic gas straight at where Magician's Valkyria was standing. To her credit, the sorceress refused to scream even as the flesh was bubbling beneath her burning robes. Her own explosive demise came soon after.

"What are you doing!?" Jake coughed into his arm as the dust was settling. He was clearly taken aback by Joe's direct tactics. He had pegged the boy as being more... circumspect than that. It was a miscalculation that Jake was now paying dearly for. He peered as hard as he could into the slowly falling smoke and dust, but the only sign of his Valkyria was a black sooty spot on the ground where she had been standing. Poor Pikeru was practically beside herself with terror. She was busy suppressing an oddly cartoonish scream as she stared at the Enraged Muka Muka with wide childlike eyes.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3000 | 3400 | 3800 | 1800

The steam dissipated quickly after that revealing Joe standing triumphant with his arms crossed. "Still think you have a chance?" he challenged. "I set one monster, and then a facedown. I end my turn after that."

"Come now, Jake!" Jenna scolded her partner. "We have to do better than this. We can't let these _twerps_ gain the upper hand. I set one monster and suicide bomb Chaos Command Magician into Enraged Muka Muka!" Jenna's Spellcaster leaped forward, charging Enraged Muka Muka with a strange look in its eyes.

Joe merely sighed. "That's unfortunate. You've ruined whatever plans Alan had. I flip my Trap Card, Jar of Greed, and then use it to get a free draw. This also increases Enraged Muka Muka's Attack Points by another 400." Joe drew his card, empowering the rocky beast and giving it the ability to take Chaos Command Magician's strike. It returned the mage's attempt with a mighty swing of its front leg powerful enough to throw the Magician all the back to Jenna's field. Jenna growled at the sight and seemed to ignore the 400 points of damage she had received. Or tried to, anyway.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3000 | 3400 | 3400 | 1800

"I end." she spat hatefully.

"Heh heh…" Alan chuckled again in that Shaggy and Scooby-Doo voice of his. "Don't worry there dude, I've got things under control." he told Joe. "After my draw, I start by like, flipping my Alien Grey that I had facedown. Now, I was _gonna_ throw his counters on Chaos Command Magician, but since the dudes like, taking a dirt nap, I'll toss an A-Counter on that Pikeru chick there."

Alan revealed his monster, which turned out to be the stereotypical view of an alien. It was a small gray humanoid, with stringy limbs and a bulbous head. As it materialized it flicked its wrist and threw out another grotesquely pulsing A-Counter out. This one attached itself the edge of Pikeru's dress. And try as she might, she couldn't shake it off. Much to the little girl's obvious horror.

"And now like, it's really party time! I activate my trap Mass Hypnosis, which lets me snag up to three monsters with A-Counters. But since Pikeru is the only one, it's kinda a bummer. Still… Get over here!" he called with what appeared to be a very bad "Mortal Kombat" voice and motioned to Pikeru. She looked around questioningly as the trap flipped, wondering why this opponent was calling out. But just as if it seemed she was about to make a face at him, strange waves resonated out of Alan's trap and hypnotized Pikeru into moving to Alan's side of the field.

"No…" Jake gasped. "I will not have my lovely little ladies consorting with vermin like your monsters!"

"Dude…" Alan laughed and waved a hand at Jake. "Calm down, you're killing the buzz. Don't worry. She's not sticking around long. I have a guy here that normally takes two big tribs, but since I'm gonna sack an opponent's monster for him, he's like...only one tribute." Alan held out his hand as he Tributed White Magician Pikeru, causing her to vanish into floating motes of pale light. "Say hello to Cosmic Horror Gangi'el!"

And that was when the fabric of reality seemed to be torn asunder. A black hole seemed to open in the very center between Joe's and Alan's field, drawing in loose pebbles and bits of soil through it and never to be seen again. However, the tear in space wasn't only drawing things in. It was also pushing something _out. _All of a sudden, a pair of huge limbs came bursting through the swirling darkness of the black hole and gripped at the edges as they pulled the rest of the body out. They were like the pointed limbs of a giant insect, but were lacking an exoskeleton. Instead, they were a sickly hue of pale blue and shone with a thin film of alien slime. A line down the center of each one seemed to hint that they could also open up wide like a giant alien beak or crab claw.

And they did as they sought something else to grab onto as more ugly limbs emerged from the black hole. A shriek that drowned out anything that came before it came from the black hole and shredded the air with sound waves strong enough to be felt on naked skin. By now, there were a countless number of pointed limbs grasping at the edge of the whirling black portal. Some opened like slender alien beaks, and others remained closed as they struggled to pull out the rest of the creature's body.

And then…. With a final sickening and thunderous wet "SPLORTCH", Cosmic Horror Gangi'el finally emerged onto this plane. To put mildly, it was like something out of an H.P. Lovecraft book. A mass of countless insectoid/beak-like legs clacking on the ground and a torso carrying an equally countless number of huge writhing wet tentacles. The head of the Gangi'el was little more than a giant mouth lined with broad and flat teeth. No eyes or anything. And a trio of pulsing blue orbs lined down the creature's front below the mouth. It was almost like they were its _eyes._

"And now this dude's gonna party down! Attack, Gangi'el! Smash her face-down!" Alan crowed.

And with that, Gangi'el rampaged forward and smashed though Jenna's facedown with a single pointed leg, which turned out to be another Rapid-Fire Magician. As it settled back, both of Alan's other Aliens leaped forward to fill in the vacancy. "And now both my other guys will like, deliver a one-two punch to you directly!" Both the Alien Mars and the Alien Grey lashed out, smacking Jenna at the same time to deliver a total of 1300 points of damage.

Joe | Alan | Jenna | Jake

3000 | 3400 | 2100 | 1800

"Nicely done…" Joe commented, though he was also a bit breathless with what had just happened. To be honest, he had only heard of Cosmic Horror Gangi'el. Seeing it for the first time, and like _this_ was a bit intimidating to say the least. He could be thankful that the creature was on his side and not the other way around. But there would be time enough for that kind of thought later. With that in mind, he then turned back to the two meddlesome idiots standing across from he and Alan. "You guys can run away anytime now."

"Never!" Jake exclaimed as he drew. "I play Level Limit - Area B. This forces all level 4 and higher monsters into Defense Position." Joy crossed Jake's face in an instant as he saw both Gangi'el and Enraged Muka Muka both settle back into a defensive position.

"Don't get overly sure of yourself there." Joe countered. "For even though I skip this draw, I still have a plan. I Flip Summon my Magician of Faith and use her ability to retrieve the Mystical Space Typhoon from my Graveyard. And you know where that's aiming at?"

"No..." Jake breathed.

"That's right. I blow up your Level Limit-Area B. That will me allow me to swap my Enraged Muka Muka into Attack Position, as well as keep the one I'm summoning now on the offensive."

Following that, Joe Tributed the Magician of Faith, and no sooner had it disappeared that another Enraged Muka Muka came to replace it. Like its twin sitting beside it, it was just as impressive and just as powerful. "Now, with four cards in my hand, both of my Enraged Muka Muka are at 2800 ATK, which is enough to finish you both off, simultaneously!" Joe threw his hand out to signal the charge. An enormous amount of steam powered forth from the vents on each of the backs, and with a sound like a croak mixed with a roar and a volcano, the two Enraged Muka Muka powered forward and smashed into Jenna and Jake like a rockslide on legs.

"Ahhh!" Jenna and Jake screamed at once. The force of the attack and made them and their little Fox Fire cohort airborne and all three were clutching at each other as they went spiraling into the sky. Within moments, their voices had become tiny but a clear shout of "Looks like Team Zaborg is launching off agaaaaaain!" could still be heard.

"I thought people usually...I don't know...die when they lose a duel here." Joe commented to Alan as he watched Team Zaborg blink off the horizon.

"Man, I dunno." Alan chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Them guys have like, got this thing where they get up no matter how beaten down they get. They've tried dozens of times to like, get Zaborg's favor, and the dude tosses 'em aside every time. Still, they keep get up and going, dude. I'd admire for them for it if… well, ya know… If they weren't so stupid about it."

"Whatever the case may be…" Joe concluded and turned to Alan. "It seems I'm the victor of our little wager, as I finished them off."

At that comment, not only Alan, but also the people behind them started to chuckle. "Dude, check the Life Points. We needed to keep ours up the highest too, man, so I think you lost."

"What!?" Joe exclaimed. "I don't remember that!"

"That's funny. _We_ all heard him loud and clear." Mitch interjected while covering a grin with his hand.

"That we did." Amy agreed in a song-song voice.

"Tough luck, bud." Lee commented as he walked up to clap Joe across the shoulder. "Better luck next time, I guess. Maybe a rematch?"

Joe paused to mentally recall the previous chapter, and then gasped as he remembered that they were telling the truth. "I can't believe this. I lost the wager because of 300 Life Points!"

"Look dude…" Alan said, placing a hand on Joe shoulder as he leaned against him. "I'm sorry, man. I feel kinda bad that I had to run you guys in circles like that to get Team Zaborg to reveal themselves."

"Wait…" Joe blinked up at Alan. "You _knew_ they were there?"

"Oh, definitely dude. I thought you did too and were just playing along, man. Now…" Alan chuckled again as he pulled the map back out of his pocket and unfolded it. "Let's get going then. It's like, totally way later than when we should've been out of here. Let's see..." Alan muttered to himself a moment before looking up with a helpless expression on his face. "Uhhh… Dudes and dudettes… I think I actually got us lost."


	19. Chapter 19

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 19  
**--------------------------  
**

Somewhere in the opposite direction of Alan's group, far across the landscape of the Duel Realm, Milly was sitting back on a large rock and looking up at the night sky. She seemed puzzled about something, like she was hearing something high in the sky but she just couldn't quite make it out. "Did anyone else hear that?" she asked Ian.

"Hear what?" he replied. He took the chance of a conversation as an excuse to back away from Victor, who had been pouring over a map in his hands for the better part of an hour. Needless to say, it was an uncomfortable and strangely awkward situation for both Ian and Milly, and he wasted no time in joining the blonde girl by the rock she was sitting on. "What did you here?"

"I… don't really know," Milly continued, "but I could've swore I heard....screaming? In the sky? I'm not quite sure. Perhaps it's just my imagination."

That brought an evil little chuckle from Victor as he folded the map and stashed it in the large pocket of his black coat. "Oh, you'd be surprised what you see out in these parts," Victor laughed. He quickly scanned the skies before chuckling again to himself. "Hey, look at that. A shooting star."

Everybody looked up to spot where Victor had pointed out and saw a small but extremely fast-moving twinkle blast its way across the night sky. And, sure enough, there was the faintest sound of voices coming from it. It was really odd. "Wow, that was...moving quite fast." Victor continued.

"Wow," Ian echoed, "I thought I heard screaming as well."

The only response Victor gave was a disinterested grunt as he turned away from the pair. "Hmph… It's best not to dwell on it. It's already past sunset, and there's a settlement close nearby that I'd like to get to before it gets too dark."

That made Milly suddenly whirl towards Victor upon her perch, her face balking at the thought of a civilization being nearby. "A settlement? Where? And why didn't you tell us sooner?" While she still was upset with the man for forcing her to put up with his presence, much less for the other despicable deeds he committed in the past, her overriding sense of curiosity about this world and the need for shelter and a soft bed stilled her sharp tongue. For the moment.

"Oh yes," Victor explained, "there are humans among this world as well. Some of them have become quite famous actually, and even occassionally get immortalized in Duel Monsters cards. Or that's what I've heard. Whether it's true or not is beyond me." He shrugged and stuffed both of his hands into the front pockets of his long black coat, his glasses glinting in the fading sunlight of the evening. "Then again… The Marauding Captain certainly "looks" human, so it stands to reason that my theory is true."

"Huh…" Ian noted, tilting his head to the side. "Never thought of it like that."

"Of course, you haven't." Victor replied flatly. "Most people don't. Then again, most people like to fool themselves into thinking this world doesn't exist at all. Which makes it easier for the Monarchs to enact their plan." Victor looked off into the distance as he spoke, his hand clenching tight enough to whiten the knuckles. The act silenced any possible comments.

"_Wow, this guy is serious. Wish I knew what was eating him."_ Ian thought to himself. He still couldn't pin down why Victor had acted the way he did, and it was certainly obvious he had nothing but hatred for his former masters. How one goes from serving something to wanting to see it erased was certainly beyond Ian's grasp.

Within a few moments, Victor's hand unclenched and he turned back to the group, the same unsmiling smile on his face. "Now," he chuckled, "enough of this banter. It'll do us no good to wait out here in the dark. That's when the truly vicious creatures roam."

"You rang?" something growled, a voice in the nearby bushes. Even though it was only two words, it still sent shivers up almost everyone's spines. The bloodlust was instantly recognizable.

"Now," Victor chuckled, his smile turning into a vicious grin as he turned to face the brush. He was the only one who seemed unaffected by the growling voice. "Who might we have here?"

The figure slinked out, revealing a large humanoid figure with warty green skin, old chainmail and leather armor, and an ugly face with a big nose, yellow eyes, and pointed ears. It was undoubtedly a member of the Goblin Attack Force. "You folks seem lost, and that's no good." The ugly green creature chuckled as several of his partners in crime slinked out and formed a half circle around the party. Each of them carried an old but lethal-looking weapon, either a sword, axe, club, or spear. Ian noted out of the corner of his eye as Milly stepped between the goblins and Ritsuko and Aaron, shielding her friends as always it seemed.

"Now now…." Victor chuckled darkly, raising his hands in a mock surrender pose. There was about as much sincerity in his voice as there was snow in the Burning Hells. "Let's not do anything rash, shall we? Wouldn't want any… accidents…to happen now."

"Don't give us that lip!" another goblin growled. "We see the disks. You're duelists. But you were just badmouthing the Monarchs, so you're not their minions."

"They gotta be rogues then," a third goblin, who shall be known as Goblin C, concluded, "Maybe we should haul you guys over to the Monarchs. Let 'em have their way with ya while we collect a big reward."

"Then again…" the first goblin, or Goblin A, chuckled, "maybe we'll just do that ourselves." He looked over to his cohorts and began laughing with them as he drew his sword.

"As if…!" Milly challenged. "Why don't I take you on in a du-"

"Wait!" Victor interrupted loudly, cutting Milly off before she could finish her words. "Not everything need be answered with a duel. Sometimes you just need to do this." Within a second of his last word, Victor smirked evilly and then rushed forward at the nearest goblin, his head low and his arms up to protect himself. The goblin jeered at him as it sliced with the sword, but all it caught was fabric as Victor simultaneously shrugged out of his coat and threw it at his opponent's face. Confused with missing his target, Goblin B uttered an angry snarl and stumbled back as he became wrapped up in the coat. It didn't even notice Victor until it was too late. With an impossibly fast movement, Victor all of a sudden just appeared sprawled out beneath the goblin's front, his leg sweeping out to catch the goblin's legs and send him to the ground.

The other two saw this and shouted as they rushed towards Victor, swords held up in the air and ready to be brought down on the challenger's head. However, Goblin C didn't notice Milly come up behind him, and fell to the ground with barely a murmur as the blonde girl's fist collided with the back of his skull. Who knew the Princess of Duel Academy could pack a punch like that?

As she was disposing of Goblin C, Victor was finishing up with Goblin B. Whipping off his coat in a flurry, Victor tossed it back into Goblin A's face while he notched a foot under Goblin B and sent him rolling sideways across the ground to roll into a tree...hard. Very hard. Then, without losing momentum, Victor turned around to drop a high kick onto Goblin A's shoulder, dropping him to the ground just as quickly as Milly had dropped Goblin C. "Well done, Milly…" he chuckled as he dusted the dirt off his hands. Milly gave him a half-hearted fake salute before turning to check on the rest of the group.

With that, Victor turned to the others as well and fixed them with a mildly annoyed smile. "The rest of you should follow her example and think a bit quicker. You're making me look like a frickin' Marty Stu here." Victor laughed at his own joke as he bent down to pick up Goblin A, only to toss him onto Goblin B, who was just managing to find his feet before the weight knocked him down again. Taking his time as he walked, Victor moved over to Goblin C and wedged a foot under it, kicking the ugly green beast up so that it rolled over to his teammates. "I think you three should be going now, and not give a second thought to giving anyone else any trouble."

"Yarg." Goblin B muttered. It seemed to be having trouble picking up its friends, but lucked out as Goblin C came back to consciousness. Together they hefted up their third teammate, who was still out like a light. "You'll regret this. We'll get you back." And with that, the Goblins fled, taking off into the brush and quickly leaving sight.

Victor only sighed at the threat. "I hope I never said anything cheesy like that when I was a villain."

"You _still_ are a villain, Victor. To me, at least," Milly retorted.

"But that's only because you like the bad boys, don't you?" Victor shot back with a devious smile.

Meanwhile, Ian was lost in his own thoughts. And they weren't very pretty. "_I can't believe it!" _Ian mentally yelled. Turning away from the group, Ian clenched his fist in anger. "_Dammit, I did it again. I froze up." _Ian looked over his shoulder, spotting Milly as she was checking on Aaron and Ritsuko. Both seemed fine, and not all in a scared tizzy like he thought they'd be. "_While everyone else seems okay with risking their lives and fighting, here I am standing around all frozen up." _The more Ian thought about it, the more he hated to admit it. He'd completely shut down the moment he saw the goblins with their swords. The only that kept him from bolting was Victor's and Milly's actions.

Otherwise....

"_Is this the best you can do, Ian? Is this what you came here for? To act like a chicken..." _Ian mentally slapped himself for his cowardice. He would've surely kept circling the same feelings if Milly hadn't put his hand on Ian's shoulder at that moment.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

"Not really." Ian growled. "I totally froze up back there. I can't believe myself."

"Don't worry, everyone does it." Looking over her shoulder to check on where Victor was, Milly leaned closer and whispered, "I was halfway there myself if it wasn't for him taking action, but don't let him know that. I can't stand the idea of him thinking even once he's one-upped me."

Ian chuckled at the comment. He suddenly felt a bit better thanks to Milly's unintended humor. "Thanks, I needed that."

"No problem." Milly laughed, patting Ian on the shoulder before taking a step back. "I don't need you going all emo on me. You've got enough problems without you adding that onto it, and I can't hold onto someone's hand while we're traveling with this guy."

"Sure, like you said. No problem."

"Alrighty, then!" Victor suddenly announced, cutting off all the other conversations. "Let's go. I hate these little distractions. As time is money. Those green freaks better just be glad they didn't cut my coat, otherwise they'd truly have something to fear." Victor made a point of ignoring the stares his comment received as he put his coat back on. It was the first time anyone noticed that his right sleeve could be unbuttoned all the way up to the shoulder. Apparently, it had been tailored to have the ability to be ripped on and off, even over a duel disk.

Victor fussed with the buttons before taking the lead, and everyone fell in line behind him, except Ritsuko who strolled up right next to him. After an awkward few moments, she finally worked herself into commenting, "That's a very unusual coat."

"I have a very unusual job." Victor answered.

Silence followed for a little bit more as everyone noticed the distinct air of annoyance coming from Victor. He'd increased the pace they were moving, not only because of the interruption but also because of the light on the horizon. "Umm," Ritusko continued, "how'd you get it?"

"I killed a man." Victor answered.

The comment stopped everyone in their tracks. "You're...not..." Ritsuko began.

Victor smiled and turned to her. "And what if I was?" He left the question to hang as he turned to continue walking. "Come on people, time is money."

Ritsuko turned to face the others. "He's not serious, is he?"

"Well," Aaron shrugged nervously, "he did just challenge three goblins. I mean, did you see the swords they were holding? They meant serious business, and he didn't even sweat it a bit. Not to mention the other crazy stuff he put us all through, too."

"Well… I for one don't buy it," Milly argued and crossed her arms defiantly. "I say it's all an elaborate act he's worked up just to make us think he's this high and mighty duelist. Well, I just won't buy into it." With that said, Milly stormed forward, intent on keeping pace with Victor.

"She could be right," Ian considered, "Victor does seem to have a flair for theatrics. And besides, it really doesn't matter what he's done, because we're kinda stuck with him."

"And with that, Ian's back to his indifferent self again," Aaron laughed. "Guess you're right. Now, let's hurry and play catch-up. We're lagging behind." The trio hurried their steps to catch up with Milly and Victor, although Ian mentally noted the out of character nature of Aaron's comment. "_Maybe he's coming out of his shell or something_." Milly still had her arms crossed in defiance, but her eyes were fixed on Victor's back.

"_You don't fool me, I know what you're planning. You like the attention, don't you?" _Milly knew this type all too well. Given the people she knew, the rich and famous, she could recognize an attention hog a mile away, and that's what she pegged Victor for. "_He probably went to the Monarchs for that. Fame, weath, thousands of adoring fans. Pathetic."_ Milly huffed as she unfurled her arms and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. "_No sense getting myself all irritated. No, now we get to meet some interesting people, and then we'll be one step closer to putting this whole mess behind us."_ Milly set her sight off into the distance, watching the small town as the marched onward towards it.

The trek along the rest of the path into the town continued in silence as the party members not only mulled over the recent conversation, but the scenery as well. Trees continued along the right edge of the path, peeling back to conform to the edge of the settlement, itself revealed to be a small, walled in fort-like area. Solid looking logs extended away from the road to either side, one end turning a corner to disappear, and the other vanishing into the shrubbery. The path ran straight up to an extra solid looking gate, squared in between two tall guard towers. Milly could see men posted up in the towers, all wearing armor and expressions similar to the two standing before the gate, ready to greet them. They were all obviously serious about their collective duty, but at the same time they also seemed rather bored. "_I suppose that's normal."_ she thought. "_After all, we haven't ran into anything other than that spat with the Goblins." _

The guards noted them, and conversed shortly with Victor before allowing them in. From there, a short jaunt followed before they found themselves entering what appeared to be an inn. Victor led the way as they walked through the maze of tables up to inn's owner, a barkeep tending to some large mugs. He was a tall, broad gentleman, obviously the type who could break up any problems that would occur. "_Why do I get the distinct feeling I just walked into a role-playing game?"_ Milly thought, a smirk welling up along with a chuckle.

The team couldn't help but feel useless as Victor did all the talking for them. "Hey," Ian commented, "do any of you feel like we're being stared at?"

"I was under that impression," Milly agreed. "When we walked in, a couple people actually stopped what they were doing to stare."

"It's really starting to bother me," Ritsuko chimed in.

"It's because they're wary of duelists," Victor interrupted as he turned back around. "Let's get to our rooms first before continuing this discussion." And with that, he left, only stopping several steps away to make sure they were still following him.

A short flight of stairs and a long hallway later, Victor waved a hand at one door. "Mmkay, the ladies stay in here, the guys go across the hall. But before anyone feels like settling in for the night, I guess you're all wondering why those dear townsfolk were staring at us then?"

"It would be worth knowing," Ian answered wearily. He was starting to get tired of Victor leading them around by the nose like he does. "_As if it'd kill him just to spit out an answer."_

"Well," Victor chuckled, "you see, first of all many of them might recall what I've done in my glory days. But beyond that, they also have a...thing...against duelists in general, which you all obviously are."

"Why would they not like duelists?"

"Heh… Isn't it obvious?" Victor laughed. "It's because most of them are like I the way I was. Arrogant pricks who worked for the Monarchs."

"Well, at least you're no longer working for the Monarchs," Milly mumbled under her breath, then looked up to continue the conversation. "But then if we explained to them-"

"Oh no," Victor interrupted, "we don't have time for that. I already set up our appointment for tomorrow. We get to see someone rather special, and I don't want us to be late. So, at the moment, I'd suggest everyone get a good rest, as I'll be getting you all up rather early tomorrow, and it is already quite late."

The conversation effectively ended, everyone parted into their respective rooms, ready to get themselves a good night's sleep in actual beds.


	20. Chapter 20

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 20  
**--------------------------  
**

The next morning….

"WAKE UP!" Victor shouted in Ian's sleeping ear. "Rise and shine! We're going to be late! Live, I tell you! LIVE!"

Now… Ian was normally a pretty calm and patient guy. He was the kind of person who simply didn't let a lot of things get to him like most people would have, and he had a real talent for ignoring the things that did. Something like that was essential when one lived in the noisy Red Dorm of Duel Academy, not to mention a house full of even louder younger siblings over the summer. As a result, it wasn't exactly the shouting in Victor's ear that woke him up. Ian was used to something like that.

However, the racket Victor was also making with a pot and wood spoon over Ian's head…. That was another story.

With a startled and half-awake yelp, Ian suddenly woke up and tumbled out of bed and onto the cold wood floor of the inn. He lay there for a moment with stars floating in his eyes, his blanket tangled over his body in loose messy knots. And then, he saw Victor. And his blood ran hot with anger.

"What the hell, man!?" Ian shouted at Victor from his spot on the floor. He could already feel a nice bump starting to swell where his head had hit the floor as he sat up, wincing slightly when he felt it lightly with his hand. "Man… A simple 'Time to get up' would've worked."

"Heh…" Victor smirked. "It got you up, as well as the other in the room." Victor waved the spoon at the other bed in the room, namely Aaron's. The poor kid was sitting ramrod straight in bed with his shaky hands clutching the sheet tightly near his face. His expression, apart from being almost white with fright, was completely indiscernible. Quite frankly, it looked to Ian like he didn't know whether to be angry or afraid to piss off Victor.

"Probably both," Ian muttered internally before turning to Victor again. "Did you seriously need to do that?" he grumbled as he pulled himself off the floor.

"Yes," Victor smirked again, "and now to go wake up the ladies."

"I hope Milly punches you in the face. Don't know why I didn't myself."

Victor only shrugged as he wandered out the door and across the hall towards the room Milly and Ritsuko were staying in. And rather than politely knocking on the door, Victor simply lifted his foot and kicked it open while also hammering the pot with the spoon before entering. Milly's voice instantly responded in kind, followed by a terrified scream from Ritsuko, and in moments Victor was shoved backwards out of the room with the door slammed in his face. Or rather, based on the slight angle his nose was now pointing at, it was safe to say that the door was slammed _on_ his face. "Heh," Victor chuckled to Ian and Aaron as he turned away from the girls' door, "I do believe they'll be ready momentarily."

"You seem a little more on the crazy side today and less on the 'I'm an arrogant prick that controls all' side," Ian commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, trust me…"Victor mused as he wandered back into the room. As he did so, he reached up towards his face and reset his nose with a sharp "CRACK!" The sound made both Ian and Aaron flinch, but Victor appeared to not have noticed. Or if he did, he chose to think it unimportant. "It's necessary given who I'll be dealing with."

"Oh yeah," Ian realized, "none of us ever did get around to asking about that. Who are we supposed to be meeting?"

"That, my friend, is a surprise."

"Oh yeah," Milly interrupted, "why am I not surprised?" The blonde stood defiantly in the doorway, freshly dressed in her Duel Academy uniform and with her arms sternly crossed. She regarded Victor with a skeptical glare and seemed to be waiting for an answer from him, but when nothing came she simply threw up her arms and stormed off in a huff towards the staircase to the lower floor. "Psh…" the girl grumbled, "I don't care. Ritsuko will be along in a second, so let's get going."

"Wow," Victor commented as he put on his long black coat, "and I always thought women were slow to get ready."

**--------------------------**

A little over an hour later, the group found themselves wading through the forests they had seen from the previous day. It was like trekking through the jungle without a machete. Ducking low-hanging branches, stepping over large shrubs, and tripping over hidden roots were only a few of the troubles the students had to contend with. Poor Ritsuko had been nearly scared to death after stepping on the tail of an angry Sinister Serpent, and Aaron had lost count of the number of times he had been smacked in the face by a branch that either Milly or Ian had pushed aside to keep walking. Victor, on the other hand, was moving as infuriatingly graceful as ever. It was almost like the forest just seemed to move out of his way whenever he came near. And for all the rest of the group knew, it might've been doing just that.

"If we're meeting someone, then wouldn't it be better to meet them in a place that's more...accessible?" Milly grumbled after stepping over yet another root. "I mean, in the interest of conserving time and energy, considering the big Monarch threat and all," she finished after stumbling a bit. "Not to mention the wear and tears on my new shoes…" she muttered under her breath.

"Fortunately," Victor answered, "the people we're meeting live out here."

"Don't you mean 'unfortunately'?" Ian countered.

"No," Victor argued, "it's quite fortunate for me, as they like me. A little too much, in fact."

"Ohhhh~!," Milly sniped, "the mighty and powerful Victor not enjoying his attention? And here I thought you loved attention."

"Ha!" Victor laughed, "Not this kind." Sunlight streamed over him as the stepped over one last tree stump and emerged into a wide clearing. "We're here." The forest had given away immediately, leaving a line of trees that extended left and right within view. Beyond them, a plain of short grass extended outwards, dotted with rocks here and there. Ian almost thought he saw something darting between the rocks, but it could've been his imagination. "We're on time, so they should know we're here."

"What?" Ian asked with a tilted eyebrow at Victor. The way the bespectacled man had worded that phrase had put Ian a little on edge, not to mention confused.

"If we were late, they'd have gotten bored and left." Victor answered. A hand rose from the pocket of his coat and pushed his glasses up along his nose, his footsteps treading softly deeper into the clearing. He didn't stop until he came near an old dead tree that stood in the middle of a clearing, one that looked like it could fall over at any moment.

"But aren't we supposed to be plotting the safety of the worlds or something like that?" he called to Victor.

"Doesn't matter to them. Doesn't matter to her."

Ian was about to comment when a sudden flurry of wind whipped up around, sending leaves flying from the trees and across the field. It might've been his imagination, but as he and the others were shielding their faces from the gust, he thought he could hear something like a woman's laughter. It sounded almost musical in his ears, like the grace and elegance of a snazzy ballroom had been given a voice. Victor growled at the wind and looked about in an expectant fashion. "_Show yourselves already, I don't have time for your games." _Victor continued turning in place until the wind suddenly died without warning.

That was when a woman's sultry southern accent chimed from behind him, "Guess who?" It was also when he noticed that a woman's arms were draped over his shoulders and holding him close to a soft feminine body. The fact that the arms also doubled as feathered wings and the woman's hands resembled bird-like talons didn't even bother him at all.

Victor only responded with an exasperated sigh. "Cassandra, I don't have time for this. We have business that needs taking care of."

"Aww," the voice whined, "y'all came all this way, and now ya just wanna run off, hun?"

"Ugh…" Victor snarled, grabbing a feathered wrist and stepping forward out of her claws. He then turned around to face her, his eyes studying her every feature to be sure that he hadn't been tricked. He doubted that was the case, but one could never be too careful in this world. "Don't you or your sisters have better things to do than stand here and waste my time?" She was as tall as ever and still had the long red hair pictured on her card. A light coat of feathers covered a svelte feminine body that would've drawn the attention of any man, and the plume of tail feathers in the back seemed like a short but elegant ballroom skirt. Last but not least, her claws rested on softly rounded hips in a come-hither stance.

"Hmph," Cassandra smirked, "and what would you know about the habits of Harpies? It's not like you ever accept my invitations to come spend some 'quality' time." The Harpie Lady settled back, crossing her arms carefully across so as to not tangle her talons in with her feathers and raised an eyebrow at Victor. "Then again, hun, if ya'll wanna take a break, maybe the two of us could find some time for 'discussion'? I'm sure my sisters could keep an eye on your friends." Cassandra looked off to the side, sharing a knowing smile with the other two Harpies that had landed in the tree over the rest of the party.

Ian turned so he could get a clear look at the three of them, as did everyone else but Aaron. He merely seemed to quickly glance enough to see where they were before finding something fascinating with the ground in front of him. "_They just came out of nowhere, and now the red-head's hitting on Victor? I don't know who to pity, her or him."_

"These are your contacts?" Milly called out, resting a hand on her hip as she studied each of the Harpie Ladies. Altogether, she seemed very unimpressed with Victor's choice in 'friends'. "I don't know whether I really should be surprised or not."

"Hmph," Victor smirked noncommittally to Milly, "Think whatever you'd like, but yes. These are my contacts. Our target, Granmarg the Rock Monarch if you recall, has apparently moved off the mainland. And these fine ladies are here to tell me which direction he related to, as well as the best route of getting there. Considering their 'eye in the sky' tendency, they tend to know these things and have been quite reliable in the past. Now," Victor turned back to Cassandra, "if you could tell me where to be heading, I'd rather not stick around."

"And I was fixin' to," Cassandra started, but then stopped herself. "Fine, I'll tell ya, but first-" she cut herself off again, but this time accompanied the self-interrupting with an impressive leap into the air. Hovering for only a second, Cassandra shifted direction and darted down to land directly in front of Milly with watchful eyes. Cassandra looked her up and down, studying Milly intensely before turning to Victor. "Now, what's so special 'bout this little miss here? Certainly you'd find better company with me?"

"She's not the one whose deck I told you about. He's over there," Victor nodded towards Ian.

Cassandra blinked owlishly at Victor. "No, I mean-"

"I _said_," Victor cut in, "he's over there. Now, get on with it." Victor turned away and lifted up his glasses slightly to rub the bridge of his nose. It was fairly obvious that he disliked dealing with Cassandra's "attentions", despite however much he needed her information. It was also obvious that this was far from the first time he had dealt with them.

The red-haired Harpie Lady only huffed disdainfully at Milly before facing Victor. "Oh fine, darlin'," Cassandra huffed again before doing her jump trick to get back over to Victor, "If you head out further to the east through those forests, y'all happen upon a pretty little coastline. The updrafts are beautiful, but I doubt you ground folks care too much. But any-oh-who, heading south will bring you to a coastal town. As you insisted, we already set up a ride for y'all, so don't worry 'bout that, hun." Cassandra smirked at Victor's back as she shifted over, leaning forward to drape her arms again over Victor's shoulders and snuggling up to him again." Ya know, if you're really grateful, you could show it once in a while."

Victor stiffened and crossed his arms suddenly. "We've been over this, Cassandra. You're a valuable ally and friend, but don't think it will ever go forward from there."

"Aww…" Cassandra dropped forward, but then picked herself back up with a sly grin on her lips. "You say that every time. But don't think I'll give up. I'll have you eventually, dear. In the meantime, at least lighten up and call me Cass instead of that long droll name, or maybe Cassie."

Victor stepped forward and shrugged her off. He didn't turn to face her, but when he spoke again there was that ever-so-dark tone he used whenever he smirked. "Lack of vigilance leads to lack of focus. I wouldn't want to lose my edge, now would I, Cassandra?"

The Harpie Lady settled back and smirked. "I'll have you yet. But I'm content to wait. Go have your fun. Save the worlds."

Victor stepped back even further, turned to the Harpie, and then...bowed. Perfectly, I might add. Milly actually stopped and stared at him for a moment. "_He actually...bowed. Hand across the waist and ninety degrees and everything. What a weirdo."_

"Thank you again," Victor turned away and started walking. After a while he threw up his hand and motioned for everyone else to follow by twirling a finger in the air. "Alright folks, let's get moving. We're burning daylight."

"_Argh, and now we're back to normal_," Milly grumbled. Stepping forward, she fell in line with Aaron, Ian, and Ritsuko.

"You know," Ian started once the group had left the clearing behind them. He thought he heard more of the Harpie Ladies' musical laughter, followed by a gust of wind back in the clearing. Then, there was silence, "this whole 'go to point A, then point B' and so on and such… It's getting really annoying. Isn't there some faster way to get there rather than _walk_ for a few days?"

"It can't be helped," Victor deadpanned as the stepped back into the woods, "we have to maintain a somewhat low profile, so we can't rely on local transportation to move about unless extremely necessary. Case in point, we're traveling over the nearby gulf to reach an island inhabited by Granmarg and his ilk, but you can be assured we are not swimming there."

"That's just great, but-" Ian continued, but was then interrupted suddenly by a figure in a brown cloak crouching in a tree. He didn't even have time to point him out, because the next thing he knew, the figure with the cloak was suddenly leaping from the tree and slamming his fist into Aaron's cheek with bone-breaking force. The poor guy just couldn't catch a break today, it seemed.

"What the hell?!" Aaron shouted just before the figure's fist met his face and sent him reeling to the ground. The others were quick to react and circled around the figure with the cloak. Victor was glaring daggers at the stranger and was ready to for a fight while Ritsuko and Milly were helping to haul Aaron back up to his feet.

That was when an angry voice came from behind the brown hood. A voice that sounded exactly like Aaron! "You," the figure muttered, "I've been looking for you...for six months!" he screamed, pulling back the hood with a furious tug.

Everyone, except for Aaron who lay sprawled out next to a tree on the opposite side of the path, gasped at the sight of who was hidden behind the hood. It was Aaron! Or someone that looked just like Aaron, but with some impressive lean muscle from constant running and surviving. Aaron had always been skinny, and this new version was no different in that respect, but the obviously toned body and the hard glint behind cracked glasses added an air of strength and fierceness that the other Aaron just didn't appear to have.

"Who in the worlds are you?" Victor demanded.

This new Aaron turned to him and displayed the same confusion Ian had come to expect from the one he'd been traveling with. "I-I'm Aaron," he stammered, then refocused. The determination returning to his expression, he struck a finger toward the other Aaron, who was now finding his balance with the girls' help. "That one's a fake! He kidnapped me and took my place six months ago!"

"What is this crazy talk!?" Milly interrupted, "we've barely been here for a week, let alone six months!"

The new Aaron turned around to give her a confused look as well. "A...week? You've only been here...for a week?!" He seemed to stare at Milly as if he were questioning his own sanity, and a morose expression identical the one everyone knew all so well from him covered his face. But when he locked eyes with his double, his expression changed to a mask of rage and an anguished howl was loosed from his lips as he charged at him. The other Aaron was in the middle of standing up, and could be seen with an expression that could be described as nothing short of complete surprise.

And then he smiled. A creepy smile that was so utterly _unlike _Aaron, it was staggering. Chuckling to himself, the Aaron doppelganger raised his hand, and the new Aaron simply bounced off an invisible barrier. "Well," he smirked with a new voice, "I was hoping to maintain this illusion much longer, but if you insist..." He lifted his hand to his chin as if to grasp it, almost as if he were about to remove a mask. But instead, his hand stopped just an inch away and seemed to be holding something invisible. A moment later, a purple mirror appeared in his hand, its reflective surface appearing in a position to block off the view of his face. A red flash erupted from the mirror, engulfing and reshaping the bearer's form. When it faded, it revealed a green clad figure in a blue cloak. When he spoke again, it was with the voice that better suited a clown or a jester. "I guess it can't be helped, but ho hum," he finished.

"There's your ugly mug," Aaron growled as he pulled himself up from the ground. Everyone else, including Victor, were just too confused to make a move towards Aaron or his double. A double that they all now recognized as the Duel Monster, Copycat.

"Wait!" Milly interrupted. "What in the world is going on? First, we have two Aarons, and now this? You," she pointed to the new Aaron in the cloak, "explain this!"

Aaron sighed and looked at Milly like the answer should've been obvious, but he decided it was better to explain things to them all now before things got any worse. "This guy," he jammed a finger in Copycat's direction, "caught me at Duel Academy after Victor gave us the week to decide. He slams me off to some prison in this dimension, and apparently took my place." Turning back to the Copycat, his anger could be seen simmering just below the surface. "I was trapped in there for nearly half a year before I broke out. It took some help, and a lot of getting my butt kicked by some pretty nasty things, but now I'm here to return the favor."

"Hmph!" Copycat chuckled while doing a little jig, "and what would a fool like you be able to do? Physical violence is useless, and you're still far from a match for me in the wits department, little Aaron."

"You wanna bet?" Aaron argued, his hand clenching on the cloak he wore, "I've had some time to practice, and I think now's about time for a good match-up." Aaron tore off his cloak and revealed that he was still wearing a Duel Academy duel disk. It looked pretty battered, but it still seemed functional for the most part. And that he was also smiling at Copycat. "All I needed was this." he chuckled, revealing the fact that he held a deck in his hand.

"What!?" Copycat exclaimed and stopped his jig. He looked down at his own duel disk and saw that its deck slot was empty. The Copycat stood there for but a second before turning back to Aaron, a finger waggling admonishingly at him. "Clever boy. But that just means I get to unwind as well." It then reached into a pouch inside its own cloak and produced a new deck that it slid into his disk's deck slot. "I've been using so many disguises, I actually haven't been able to use my own creation for some time now. But fine, let's get started." The Copycat raised his arm, duel disk whirling to life and lighting up.

"Alright then," Aaron growled and raised his own duel disk. "But don't think you're just gonna intimidate me into backing down this time. I'm not the weakling I used to be."

"We shall see, little boy. We shall see."


	21. Chapter 21

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 21  
**--------------------------  
**

Aaron | Copycat  
4000 | 4000

"Alright then," Aaron growled as he lifted his Duel Disk. The device activated with a whirring of tiny motors, the outer edge sliding out and extending in preparation for cards to be placed on it. "But don't think you're just gonna intimidate me into backing down this time. I'm not the weakling I used to be."

"We shall see, little boy. We shall see," mocked his opponent. One could almost hear the smile unfolding behind the mirror hiding the clownish figure's face.

Aaron stared daggers at his opponent, the Copycat who had been impersonating him since before Victor had brought anyone to the Duel Realm. He had suffered through six months of random beatings and torture at an otherworldly prison because of this little freak, and by all that he held holy, he was going to make him pay for it. His eyes narrowed venomously and settled on the mirror Copycat hid behind, almost as if the fire of his gaze could pierce through the glassy surface and see the creature's true face. If it even had one. "Alright then," he said with finality after drawing a card, "The first turn is mine. I summon The Six Samurai - Nisashi. And I'll place a facedown card and then end. Hit me with your best shot."

As soon as the card was played, a pillar of green light erupted straight up from the ground on Aaron's side of the field. The familiar black outline of the samurai Nisashi stood in the pillar's center, his two swords held ready to attack as the rest of the pillar vanished into the sky. He was easily recognizable by the distinctive jade armor he wore, as well as by the two swords he was holding. One was a katana with a long blade and the other was a wakizashi that he held like a dagger. A soft green glow that was identical to the pillar's shone from each of the two blades. That glow, combined with the neon tracings on his armor, added a strangely futuristic look to his otherwise antiquated appearance.

And despite the bravado of Nisashi's entrance, the Copycat seemed anything but impressed. A yawn came from behind the mirror hiding his face before he placed both hands on his hips impatiently, the mirror levitating in place where his hand had left it. "Hmph…" Copycat grunted, "Well if that's all, then I'll start my turn now. I say, I think I might just place these three facedown cards before setting a monster as well. That will be all for me."

A set of three facedown cards appeared in his back row with the Copycat's words, followed by another that appeared in his Monster Zone. Nisashi seemed to narrow his eyes at the facedown monster and obvious traps, the long blade of his katana resting over one shoulder while his other hand clenched the handle of his wakizashi tightly.

"Don't go easy on me, or you'll regret it. It's my turn now," Aaron growled. After drawing his next card, he studied his hand carefully before an idea made him nod confidently. _"So far, so good," _he seemed to think before he took one card and placed it on his Duel Disk next to Nisashi's card. "Watch closely now. Since I have a 'Six Samurai' monster on my field, I'm allowed to Special Summon the Grandmaster of the Six Samurai from my hand. And since he's out now, I'll have two 'Six Samurai' monsters on my field, which then allows me to Special Summon the Great Shogun Shien right from my hand as well!"

Another pillar of light appeared on Aaron's side of the field, but this one was a metallic silver in color rather than the neon green that Nisashi had been summoned with. The dark outline of yet another proud warrior stood in the fading pillar's center, revealing an aged man who gripped a sheathed katana with the tip resting on the ground like it was a cane. Like his title suggested, the Grandmaster of the Six Samurai carried an air of authority and experience that none dared to question. His white hair hung long and loosely framed the sides of his bearded face as he glared sternly at the Copycat across from where he stood. His armor only consisted of samurai greaves, strangely robotic-looking gauntlets, and hip pauldrons that were all dark silver in color with intricate and strangely cybernetic white tracings over the armor pieces. He only wore a simple yukata and samurai leggings beneath the armor. Other than that, the only other detail was the eye patch covering his right eye. It held a strange red lens that seemed to glare at the Copycat just as sternly as his real eye.

Not even a second after the Grandmaster's arrival, a second pillar of light burst from the ground on Aaron's side of the field. But unlike the ones that Nisashi and the Grandmaster had been summoned through, this one was much larger and was a deep crimson in color. The outline of Great Shogun Shien shone clearly within the pillar as it towered into the sky before disappearing, revealing a giant samurai warrior that was clad in heavy plate armor the color of fire and blood. The front of his chest plate was emblazoned with a design of ghostly blue flame that shone starkly against the red of his armor. The cape over his shoulders seemed to spread behind him into a wall of thick shadow. His eyes were nothing more than molten red embers that blazed ominously beneath the brim of his helm, which was topped by a stylized flame crest. If there was only one master who could command the respect of the Six Samurai to kneel at his feet, then that master could be no one besides the Great Shogun Shien himself. Not even the closely-trimmed grey beard covering his chin did anything to diminish the Shogun's fiercely intimidating aura.

Satisfied that he now held the advantage, Aaron frowned determinedly and placed another card onto his Duel Disk. "Now I'll activate the Equip Spell, United We Stand, to Nisashi. This will give him an extra 800 Attack Points for every monster I have on my field, which puts him at an even 3800 Attack Points."

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was watching Aaron's duel with a mixture of shock and amazement in their faces. They had always known Aaron as the shy, quiet, and meek kid who always stuttered in his speech whenever he became nervous. He had been just another social misfit who sat quietly in class and hoped that he wouldn't be called on to stutter out an answer to a question. In short, he had been about as unthreatening as anyone could possibly get.

But now…. That Aaron was just a memory. His time spent wrongfully imprisoned in a Duel Realm cell had seen to that. And the new tougher and more confident Aaron was ready to start kicking some serious Copycat ass.

"What the hell..?" Milly breathed in wide-eyed amazement before turning to Ian. "Are you sure this is the Aaron we all know?"

"Yeah," Ian chuckled, holding back from laughing out loud as he settled back. He'd been unconsciously leaning forward as he watched the duel start with an intensity he hadn't seen in a long time. "_Not since Mitch dueled Aaron," _the thought with no small amount of impression._ "This is definitely him...only he's worked up now. I gotta say, it's pretty scary."_

"All right! Let's go, Nisashi! Strike down his monster!" Aaron shouted as he jammed a fist forward in the air, signaling his samurai to begin the assault.

Nodding a grim response to Aaron, Nisashi gripped his swords tightly and dashed forward at the facedown monster on Copycat's field. The speed at which he ran almost seemed to make him fly across the field, his swords held out like the wings of a hawk as he moved across the field. Then, just as he was within reach of Copycat's facedown monster, he reversed the grip on his katana and sent the flashing blade stabbing down into the surface of the card.

It was a mistake that would cost Aaron dearly.

"Oh… Bad luck, sport," Copycat chuckled as his card opened up to reveal its true form. It was a golden Arabian oil lamp that stood upon four metallic and spidery legs. And it was completely unharmed despite Nisashi's powerful attack.

"You've revealed my Ancient Lamp, which when attacked while facedown will redirect your attack to one of your own monsters of my choosing. And I think I'll choose the Shogun in the corner there. That old codger is long past his prime, anyway."

Upon Copycat's words, the lamp suddenly released a bright flash that knocked the katana out of Nisashi's hand and sent it spinning in an arc towards Great Shogun Shien. The warlord barely had time to yell in surprise before the tip of the katana pierced him through the middle of his chest plate, his free hand moving to grip the blade in a futile attempt to remove it. Nisashi could only shout out an anguished warning to Aaron before his Lord burst into a brightly burning red blaze that singed Aaron while leaving nothing of Shien's body behind.

Aaron | Copycat  
2700 | 4000

Aaron gasped at the damage and seemed to double over in pain, but then he stood back up and grinned at Copycat. "You'll have to do better than those parlor tricks because Nisashi still has a second attack! Swing again, Nisashi! Strike down that Lamp for good!"

Nisashi immediately turned upon the Ancient Lamp upon hearing Aaron's command. The samurai code of honor forbade that he ever display any sign of hesitation to the enemy and he wasn't about to start breaking that code now. Taking his wakizashi into a two-handed grip, the samurai launched himself at his adversary while holding the blade close to his body with the tip pointing forward. Then, with the swiftness of the wind, he thrust the blade forward and sent it stabbing right at the polished surface of the Ancient Lamp's flank.

"Bad luck again, little boy!" Copycat cackled gleefully. "Trap Card, activate! Shift! This lets me send your attack another direct once again, and this one is going straight for the Grandmaster!"

Just then, the Ancient Lamp suddenly split into a number of illusionary copies that spun around Nisashi at a hypnotic speed. The samurai felt the ground giveaway beneath his feet and soon he simply couldn't tell up from down and found himself running forward on sheer reflexes. But then, with a horrifying flash that brought him back to reality, the illusions of the Lamp suddenly vanished and he found that he was nearly face-to-face with the Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. Before he knew what he was doing, his blade had penetrated the chest of his commander. Both warriors slumped to the ground, one dead and the other defeated.

Aaron | Copycat  
1800 | 4000

"Oh no…" Ritsuko gasped while covering her mouth. "This isn't good. Aaron's already below half his starting Life Points, and it's only his second turn."

"Damn it," Ian muttered as he bit his thumbnail. "_At this rate, Copycat will easily win. How do you stop a guy who throws everything you do right back at you?"_

Aaron seemed to be pondering that same question. The only thing he could do was clench his jaw in fury and conclude the rest of his turn. "I set two more cards and end my turn."

"Ha! Is that all?" the Copycat jeered at Aaron as he danced more of his annoying little jig. "I'd have thought you'd be tougher than this since you've spent six months waiting for revenge. But… Well, I guess some people are disappointments, after all." He could tell that his taunts had stung Aaron like a slap in the face, which he enjoyed quite a lot. The boy's furious expression made the grin on his invisible face spread even wider as he drew his next card. "Well…. Since you're so upset, I'll spare you any more embarrassment and end things now. I sacrifice my Ancient Lamp and summon forth the Labyrinth Wall."

Copycat's Ancient Lamp disappeared behind a wall of steam that billowed from the tip its spout, but no other monster seemed to come after that. The strange absence made Aaron and the others, save for Victor, blink owlishly between the empty spot on the field and the strange prancing caped clown hiding behind the mirror. Maybe he was trying to trick Aaron and lied about the card he was summoning?

"Hey, what's the deal?" demanded Aaron to Copycat. "I thought you were summon-"

That was when the ground started to rumble beneath his feet.

"What-" Aaron sputtered incredulously, his feet almost losing their balance as the quaking grew more violent. "Wha-What in the world!?"

"Oh, crud…." Victor muttered when he noticed what was happening. His eyes narrowed and darted between them and Copycat. Or rather at the spot where Copycat was last seen prancing his silly jig. He must've made a quick getaway when the ground had started to shake, and if Victor knew that little mirror freak, then the rumbling happening now was obviously his doing. And if he was right about what this rumbling meant, and he had a really good feeling that he was, then getting separated would be a deadly mistake. Just the thought of that and the knowledge that Copycat had tricked them all like this was enough to make Victor's frown deepen into a snarl.

"Everyone get together! NOW!" he shouted to the others as loud as he could. His hands had already grabbed Ian and Ritsuko by the back of their uniforms and were throwing them at Aaron like they were sacks of potatoes, followed by Milly who made the silly attempt of trying to scratch out Victor's eyes as he grabbed her around the waist. She was shouting something about "personal space" and "damn perverts" just before he sent her flying at the others with another powerful toss. If the situation hadn't been so dire, he might've found their surprised protests and screams to be funny.

Actually, scratch that. He _definitely_ would've found them funny.

But now wasn't the time for humor.

A split second after Milly had crashed into Ian, Aaron, and Ritsuko, the ground surrounding them suddenly started to rumble hard enough to make it impossible for them to stand. Cracks and deep fissures were already starting to spread quickly over the ground while Victor ran to rejoin the others, his legs pumping as fast as they could to cross the distance in time. He had barely made in time before the earth surrounding them burst in a violent explosion that sent rocks, trees, and soil flying in all directions. Only Ian and Victor dared to watch was happening. They were barely able to see through the haze of airborne dirt, but they were still able to see that sections of stone wall were bursting from the ground by the dozen, surrounding the huddled group piece by piece until everything went black and quiet.

The sound of a torches crackling and the feeling of a cold stone floor were the first things the group noticed after the noise had died down. When they dared to open their eyes again, they saw that they sat in the middle of a stone labyrinth that was lit only by a row of torches on each wall. Not only that, but their current surroundings seemed eerily similar to the picture on Labyrinth Wall's monster card. "Wait a minute…" Ian spoke as he struggled to get up on his feet. It felt like the whole world was spinning like a merry-go-round gone berserk. Once he his head had cleared, he finally took a good long look at their surroundings. "Could this be...? The inside of Labyrinth Wall?"

The words came out as a question, but a certain sinking feeling in his gut told him that he had guessed right. After all, they had already been taken to another dimension, fought in Shadow Duels, and were now being lead by a sadistic psychopath with a Frankenstein complex. Somehow being trapped in a huge and likely deadly labyrinth didn't seem so unbelievable after facing all of that.

Just what else could go wrong today?

Meanwhile, Milly was just opening her eyes to see Victor pulling himself off of her and standing up to dust off his long black coat. The image of him laying on top of her was enough to make her skin crawl, but she was also a tough girl and had decided that she wasn't going to let it freak her out. Not too badly, anyway. "Ow…" she commented before sitting up to glare at Victor. "Was that really necessary?"

He seemed to stare blankly at her for a moment before responding with a simple shrug before continuing to dust off his coat. "I needed to get everyone together and it seemed like pushing you into them was the best idea at the moment."

"_Throwing_, you mean. Gee, thanks'" muttered the blonde as she pulled herself up to her feet and also started dusting herself off. "I assume you know what happened and why we ended up in a spooky maze?"

"Unfortunately…" Victor sighed. "Although if I'm correct, the next part will probably be worse."

"How come I expected you to say that?" Milly deadpanned before turning to survey the others. Ian was helping Ritsuko up and Aaron was busy covering his face and pounding a nearby wall with his fist.

"Damn it!" he yelled. "I almost had him! He was right there and..."

"Hey Aaron! If that is your real name…" Milly called out to the boy only half-jokingly. She had a hand on her hip as she studied him with an impatiently arched eyebrow. "Get over here so I can slap you. And stop beating yourself up. None of us knew he would do that."

"Actually…" Victor interrupted. "I had considered the idea, but I didn't expect him to go that far. He saves the Labyrinth Wall for games, not battles. I thought he would actually be serious since Aaron posed him a very real threat." His brow furrowed as he dug out his notepad and pen from his coat pocket, his hand already scribbling notes as he looked around their immediate area. "What bothers me is if-"

However, the words he was about to speak went unsaid when he suddenly noticed that a circle of glowing symbols had appeared around the feet of each person. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw them, but then they narrowed in anger when they started to rise and travel along his legs. "Bloody _**frickin'**_ no!" Victor exclaimed angrily as he snapped his fingers. The circle of symbols around his legs shattered with the action and faded away into flickering motes of light.

The students were not so quick however, and could only stand paralyzed in shock as the rings surrounding them rose off the ground and traveled over each of their bodies. A tingling sensation like a mild electric current was running over their skin filled their senses, spreading higher along their bodies as the rings continued to rise. "What's happening!?" Ritsuko managed to scream. Milly, Ian, and Aaron opened their mouths to shout something similar, but they weren't able to make even a single sound. All the four of them could do was stand there and watch in horror as the circle of symbols reached their necks and continued rising over their heads.

Everything went black again after that.

**--------------------------**

Milly was the first to open her eyes. At first, the only thing she saw was a haze of colors that made her dizzy and sick to her stomach. "Ooooh…" moaned the blonde miserably, her hand covering her mouth to hold back a wave of nausea. It felt like someone had stuck her head in a paint mixer gone berserk. She was also surprised to realize that she was somehow miraculously still on her feet. A bit wobbly, but she was still standing nonetheless. "W-What just happened?" she asked to no one in particular while she steadied herself with a hand against the wall. "God, I feel like I'm going to throw up…"

However, that was when the sound of somebody snickering behind her back caught her attention and snapped her back to reality. Her first reaction was to grab the person doing it and smack them silly across the face, but her own dizziness and clouded vision made that impossible. For the moment, anyway. The best she could do was squint and try to peer through the colorful haze, although she already had a good guess about who was crazy enough to laugh at a time like this. Her glare settled on Victor once her vision had finally cleared. "What just happened?" Milly repeated to him, a rush of indignant anger making her square herself up to him with her hands on her hips.

The only response Victor gave at first was another round of muffled snickering that he covered up with a hand. Tears were already forming behind his wire-rim spectacles, his face turning red from trying to keep his growing laughter suppressed. "Have you seen wha-…!?" he began before another snicker fit cut him off. "Just lo-…! Just look-…! Oh Gods, I can't take it!" he exclaimed when he finally lost control of himself. After that, the most he could do was point a finger at Milly and then down at the floor before he doubled over in a fit of uproarious laughter. You'd think he was about to fall over and die because he was laughing so hard.

Naturally, that only made Milly even angrier with Victor. "WHAT is your problem!?" the girl exclaimed. "In case you haven't noticed, this isn't the time to be laughing! Now get your head out of your ass and do something use-…."

That was when she felt something fluffy brushing against her legs.

With a startled gasp, Milly looked down at her feet and saw what it was that Victor was laughing about. Her outfit had changed from her usual fashionable Obelisk Blue girls' uniform to a big poofy pink dress that was covered in frills and ribbons, complete with soft pink slippers on her feet and a big pink bow in her hair. Her face scrunched in disgust when she reached up and felt it there. She also noticed that a red and white lollipop the size of a halberd was lying on the floor by her feet.

There was no doubt in her mind now. This was Lollipop Lady's dress straight from her card, but why was _Milly_ the one wearing it? "Oh no… No no no no…." she muttered with an expression like she swallowed something foul. "I am _way_ too sane for cosplay. And I _hate_ bows in my hair!" she screeched as she reached up and ripped the foul thing out of her hair. "Where did this outfit come from!?"

"It's too late for that," she heard Aaron mutter sourly. She was about to turn to him and reply with an equally sour retort, but then she stopped in mid-sentence and gawked when she saw what had happened to him. He was leaning against a wall with his arms folded over his chest, but his makeshift traveler's outfit that had already replaced his Slifer Red uniform had been transformed into the same green armor that she had seen the samurai Nisashi wearing only a short time ago. For a moment there, she was even convinced he _was_ Nisashi. He even had the samurai's signature katana and wakizashi with him, both of which were sheathed at his right hip. "Seems we all got hit with...whatever that was," the boy muttered again.

"Just great…" Milly grumbled while casting a baleful glare at Victor. It figured that he would be the only one to have his appearance unchanged by whatever it was that did this. But then another thought occurred to her and she started looking around the corridor as if looking for someone. Aaron and Victor were already accounted for, but Ian and Ritsuko weren't anywhere in sight. "Hey, where's Ritsuko? And Ian…?"

"I'm down here," grumbled a voice from near her feet. Looking down, Milly just about let out a shriek when she saw what the voice had belonged to. It was an old wooden puppet that sat propped up against a wall. And it looked an _awful lot_ like Ian, too. The thing's head was enormous compared to the small body it was attached to and had a mouth that was little more than a hinge attached at the back like a nutcracker's. It was topped by a mop of Ian's messy black hair and had glasses that were exactly like Ian's real ones. Even the disgruntled stare in its eyes was the same as Ian's! Bits of string had been tied to the puppet's hands and feet and laid uselessly at its sides like cobwebs. The Ian puppet seemed to frown before his wooden mouth opened to speak. "This is pathetic, I can't even move except to talk."

"That's the problem with being a puppet. You can't ever seem to hold yourself up." Victor chuckled from the wall he had been leaning on. He then sighed lightly and adjusted his spectacles up along the bridge of his nose, which was a sure sign that the man was annoyed. "It seems like that bugger is up to his usual tricks. What a mess you've all caused me..."

Milly could only stare at Victor for a moment in disgust before yet another realization struck her. Ritsuko was still missing. "Ritsuko? Where are you?" she called out with her hands cupping her mouth. _ "Great, if I lose her now, what is she going to do? She's helpless on her own." _It was at that moment when she felt something else brush against her leg and she looked down to see what it was. It was a small black kitten that was pawing at the edge of her dress and mewling with fear. It was also covered in stripes like a tiger's and it also had a pair of scar-like markings across the left eye.

"Oh, you're kidding me, right!?" Milly cried out in disbelief.

Ritsuko replied with a little meow. "_I can't believe this!" _she thought, her mind almost in a panic that made her tiny heart race. "_I'm a cat. A little kitty! And not just any kitty, but Black Tiger LV 2! Help me, Milly!"_ Outwardly, she couldn't do anything but sit there and paw at Milly.

"Oh dear…" Milly moaned as she scooped up Ian and Ritsuko. "What am I going to do with you two, huh?" Turning her attention back to Victor, she simply stood there and glared daggers at him straight for his heart. She noted that Ritsuko's Duel Disk and deck box were laying off to the side, as well. "I'll assume you knew _this_ would happen as well, didn't you?"

"You don't look very intimidating in a dress," Victor chuckled as he pushed himself off against the wall. "Holding a doll and a kitten don't help that image."

"Hey," Ian interrupted, "I am not a doll."

"That's not the point," Milly continued, "You...knew...this...would happen. Correct?"

Victor sighed and pocketed his hands, turning to survey the hall they were in. "Yes, I knew Copycat would try this the moment he summoned Labyrinth. It's why I tried to keep everyone together. People handle things better when they're together, and those two there would be in serious danger, Ian especially." Victor explained. For once, he actually seemed quite serious about their predicament. "He certainly has much more to fear than dust bunnies at any rate."

"Wait," Milly argued, "Are you saying we're in danger?"

"Why yes," Victor nodded, "Very much so. You don't think this is an empty labyrinth, do you?"

Milly couldn't help but stand there and look at Victor in shock. It took her several moments before she could recompose herself. "Is there nothing that ruffles you, Victor? You seem to expect everything, and react to nothing. Personally, I think you should've let that glow or whatever it is turn you into a Stitched….whatever. Then you'd at least look the same on the outside as you are on the outside."

Victor feigned a look of shock and placed a hand over his heart. "Ouch, I'm hurt." He grinned. "Okay, I'm kidding, but seriously, bravo on the attempt. I will admit that perhaps I should've warned you all, but it would've done little except incite panic. But now, we have to get out of here."

"How do we do that!?" Milly exclaimed, "Only three of us are still normal size, one can't move, and the other is a frickin' _kitten_!" As if to emphasize her point, she jostled Ian and Ritsuko, who were both still sitting in her arms.

"Yeah," Ian grumbled, "there's not much I can do from here except comment on how pink Milly's dress is."

Milly looked down at Ian and growled. "Don't push me, puppet boy."

"Meh," Ian mused with a slight tilt of his huge wooden head, "From the way I'm looking at things, you can't make them much worse for me."

"I wonder how things will look when you're hanging upside-down."

"Okay, point to you." Ian turned his head away and shut his mouth.

A noise from down the hall attracted everyone's attention before Milly could continue. "I...I think we should get moving," Aaron commented as he moved away from his wall and put a hand on one of his two swords. "Whatever that was, it sounded nasty...and close."

"Don't even get me started on you, samurai boy!" Milly growled to him before straightening up. "Unfortunately, the new Aaron here is right, which means Victor is also right. Bleh, whatever, but alas we should be moving." She squared herself to Victor once again and threw her head back to get some hair out of her face. "Well, where does our brilliant tactician think we should go?" she asked sarcastically.

Instead of replying, Victor sat down and crossed his legs. Putting his arms in his lap, he clapped his hands together and set his chin in them before closing his eyes in thought. After several moments, when Milly was almost ready to toss kick him in the back of the head, he opened his eyes again and stood up rather suddenly. "Let's get going down this hall. We'll keep to the right for a while to start with." Not waiting for a response, he stepped ahead and quickly moved past Milly and Aaron into the darkness ahead. But not before scooping up Ian and Ritsuko's Duel Disks and deck boxes and stashing them into the infinite number of pockets inside of his coat.

"Hmph," Milly huffed and turned to Aaron. "You heard him, let's go. Here, carry this." Not giving Aaron a chance to respond, she tossed him Ian.

"Whoa!" the puppet cried just before Aaron had caught him. "Be careful with me. I'm pretty sure it'd hurt if I was dropped."

"Oh, Ian, calm down. I'm sure Aaron is capable of catching you easily enough," she assured before reaching down to retrieve the giant lollipop lying at her feet. "_Wow, it's really...light. Almost like it's make of cotton candy instead of hard candy," _she thought with no small amount of amazement.She then shifted Ritsuko into the crook of one arm and hefted the massive sucker over one shoulder. "What? I might need this." she explained when she noticed the stares she caught from the others.

"While we're in here," Ian commented quietly to Aaron, "remind me not to upset her."

"Ditto," Aaron replied back with a dumb look on his face.

"Hey back there!" Milly called back. "Hurry up."

Aaron seemed to jump a little at Milly's voice and then he picked up his pace to rejoin the other two on foot. Ritsuko was still nestled in the crook of Milly's arm, barely noticeable behind the frills. "Yech, I hate this dress. _Waaay_ too many frills. It's not a bad shade of pink though." Seeing Aaron's only response being a raised eyebrow in question, she continued on with a light sigh. "Eh, but oh wells. Say, never got around to asking, but I think it's worth mentioning. Now… You said you've been here for six months, right?"

Aaron sighed and sagged a little. "Yes, so it would seem. Don't remind me."

"Sorry…" Milly replied back softly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was just getting my story straight. If you want, I could just stop now."

"Really?"

Milly looked up in thought as she continued walking, then quickly shook her head side to side. "Nope. I want to know, and sorry for being so blunt, but you really should tell us all of the details."

"She has a point," Victor called back. He stopped them momentarily at an intersection before choosing a path to the right.

"Okay." Milly commented, "maybe I'm wrong. If Victor is agreeing, I know there's something wrong here."

"No, I should really get this out there. I guess you guys have a right to know."

"Only if you insist," Milly replied. "A part of me really doesn't want to push you into talking about it," she said while biting her lip, "but the other part really can't figure out how six months could go by for you while only so little went by for us."

"I can answer that," Victor interrupted. Not even bothering to turn and face them, he continued pace as he explained. "You see, sometimes the Duel Monsters realm messes up, so to speak, in a chronological sense. What that means is that sometimes a year in the Human World can go by and not even a day passes in this world. Likewise, a week in your world could become several months in this world. It's a sputter that hasn't quite been quantified or exactified, so we don't know when or how long any effects like this would happen. Why, right now the Human World could be flying by, and we won't get back until several decades have gone by."

"You're kidding, right?" Milly questioned.

"No," Victor deadpanned, "Why…. We could finish this up and send you all back right now, and everyone back at home could be doing some silly fad like…. I don't know, dueling on motorcycles or some such nonsense." He paused as if to think about his words. "Sorry, that was a bad example. I meant to go for something that would signify an advance in technology."

"Riiiight," Ian commented, "and you planned on telling us this...when?"

"On…. Not likely, actually," Victor explained, "the worlds have been running rather stable side by side for some time, so I thought it wouldn't need to be brought up. I guess I was wrong."

"Surprise, surprise…" Milly sniped.

"Now, now," Victor chuckled again, "no need to get angry. I'm sure if was a freak accident."

"Tell that to the guy who lost six months," Aaron muttered bitterly.

That was enough to make Victor suddenly stop and glare at Aaron heatedly over one shoulder. "Now see here," Victor shot back as he fully turned to stare down Aaron. "I have half a mind to-" But then, he was interrupted by a section of wall that had suddenly exploded with a terrific boom, sending brick and mortar everywhere. "Yeah…" He called out to whatever had wrecked the wall, throwing one arm up to ward off the dust, "That's uncalled for. But at least we found you."

"Found who?" Aaron called out, his own arm shielding his eyes from the falling dust.

"Who else?" Victor laughed as he back to where the explosion had come from. The dust was beginning to settle and had revealed a rather large and deep hole in the wall. In it sat a huge, mechanical spider with massive missile batteries mounted on its backside. It was clacking mechanical scissor-like jaws as it lifted one massive foot outside of the hole and stared at Victor with eight eyes that gleamed like rubies. "This is the Launcher Spider," he explained. "It's the first of the three guardians we have to fight to get out of here."

"Fight!?" Ian spat from his seat on Aaron's arm. "How are _we_ going to fight _that_ thing!?"

Victor smiled and seemed about to respond with his usual wit and sarcasm, but then Aaron stepped forward and waved him off. He tossed Ian back to Milly, which brought out another loud protest from Ian, and then narrowed his eyes at the Launcher Spider from beneath the brim of his samurai helm.

"Like this," he muttered to Ian while drawing the katana sheathed at his hip.


	22. Chapter 22

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 24  
**--------------------------  
**

"Fight!?" Ian spat from his seat on Aaron's arm. "How are _we_ going to fight _that_ thing!?"

Victor smiled and seemed about to respond with his usual wit and sarcasm, but then Aaron stepped forward and waved him off. He tossed Ian back to Milly, which brought out another loud protest from the little puppet, and then he narrowed his eyes at the Launcher Spider from beneath the brim of his samurai helm.

"Like this," Aaron muttered to Ian while reaching for the handle of the katana sheathed at his hip. Drawing the sword, he noted with some sense of satisfaction that it was identical to the one pictured on Nisashi's own card. It pulsed with a neon green light that covered the blade's entire length, thrumming with a raw cutting power that Aaron could actually feel in his hands. "_Yeah, this'll work fine," _the teenager thought as he marveled at the weapon. He thought he could see faint lines that looked like circuitry etched into the blade, giving it a powerful cybernetic feel as well as a legendary one.

Taking his eyes off his weapon, Aaron's view shifted to the Launcher Spider. It was starting to move towards him. "_If I were anyone else, I bet this would look really cool_," Aaron thought to himself with a smirk. Back at Duel Academy he'd never thought he could do anything this brave. But that seemed like ages ago, and he'd changed quite a bit since then.

"All right!" Aaron shouted suddenly. Dropping down into a ready crouch, he pulled out his second blade, a short wakizashi, and held it in a reversed grip with the blade pointing down rather than up. He smiled as the Spider reared up and started to charge at him on mechanical legs, jaws clacking and gears whining. "_Bring it"._

As his giant adversary closed in on him, Aaron waited for a crucial second before tensing his legs to move and strike at the creature. He had to time this just right or he was going to be in a lot of pain real soon. That and the Launcher Spider was moving surprisingly smooth for a giant robot on eight legs with rocket launchers on its back. But then, just as the Launcher Spider came within about twenty feet of him, Aaron suddenly darted forward with a speed that surprised all of his companions. He didn't move around the robotic Spider, but went straight _under_ it instead! His blades flashed and cut through a few of the Spider's legs, severing some of them cleanly in half before Aaron came out from underneath it.

Its reaction was instantaneous the moment Aaron came to a half and turned back towards the mechanical creature. Just as he had planned, the Spider had collapsed onto its belly and faceplanted right into the stone floor beneath it. The legs he had severed went flying out from underneath it and were sent skidding across the floor, much to the wannabe samurai's satisfaction. He was just glad that he wasn't still underneath that thing when it fell! "_Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought."_

But then it stood back up on its remaining legs, turned around at Aaron, and fired off a volley of rockets from the batteries on its back. "_Crap!" _ Aaron yelped in his head as he ducked off to the side and tucked into a roll away from the missiles. "_Those really work! And they're shooting at me!"_

The next thing Aaron saw when he opened his eyes was the Launcher Spider looming over him and pinning his back to the floor. "_Awww man...." _He watched helplessly as it lifted one of its front legs and hovered it right over his head. The treads on its foot were already spinning, ready to grind Aaron's face away as it squeezed out his brains from under his samurai helm.

But as Aaron's head was about was about to get flattened, a new figure darted into the air over the Launcher Spider. And she appeared to be holding a pole with something round and very large on the end of it. It was none other than Milly Pegasus herself. And she was cackling with glee as she brought the end of her giant lollipop down on the Launcher Spider. It slammed hard right into one of its missile batteries and knocked it clean off, sending the creature skidding to the side and crashing upside down into the wall of the labyrinth.

Milly was still laughing as she landed next to Aaron, whose expression could only be described as utterly and completely dumbfounded. He could only catch a few words as she darted past him to continue attacking the mechanical Spider. He wasn't sure if he had heard it right, but it sounded like she had said, "HurryslowpokeorI'llbeatsomesenseintoyou!" Or something like that.

Not giving him time to respond, Milly darted to the Spider, which seemed to be having difficulty righting itself with the lack of counterweight on its back. The same expression of glee smeared across her face as when she was in the air, she jumped once again only to land on the Spider's belly before whacking away with intense vigor. Metal tore from its belly and scattered everywhere as she chipped away at its armor, puncturing deep to reach the delicate circuitry underneath.

Victor could only stand by and watch from the sidelines as he chuckled to himself at the show before him. "And she says I'm evil."

"Yeah…" Ian agreed, "I've said it to Aaron, now I'm saying it to you. While we're here, remind me not to upset her."

Ritsuko was behind Victor with her paws covering her face, and Aaron could only continue his dumbfounded look as he rejoined the group. It was probably a good idea to keep himself clear out of Milly's path.

**--------------------------**

Several minutes and one steaming pile of wrecked robot later, Milly stepped away from the Launcher Spider's remains and started striding back toward the group with a look of smug satisfaction gracing her face. "Wow!" she laughed, "That felt good. You never realize just how much stress you're holding back until you really just let it all out."

"Well, good then," Victor chuckled, "it seems your stress helped us deal with one of the Guardians of this labyrinth."

"Yeah," Aaron replied as he stepped past Milly to look at what was left of the Spider. He couldn't help but stand there and watch Milly beat at it for all its worth, and could only now wander back after she was finished. "What is the deal with that now? You said something about...three Guardians, right?"

"Correct," Victor said simply. Whipping out his seemingly beloved little black pocket notebook, Victor paged through for several seconds before finishing his thought. "Yep. My notes from my last escapade in this place are right here. If it's anything like that time, there are three Guardians that we need to defeat in this labyrinth. Copycat put them in place here in order to amuse himself by watching helpless duelists do battle against the mightiest of beasties. Without the aid of their decks, of course."

"That's horrible!" Milly spat, "Remind me to keep this lollipop so I can smack Copycat with it. That's the second most despicable thing I've ever heard."

"Oh really?" Victor commented, distracted by her words, "And what might be the worst you've ever heard?"

Milly looked at him with a deadpan look on her face as she quoted, "My name's Victor. Victor Byron."

"Mmm…" Victor smirked, "Touché'. But there is no need for distractions now. We need to continue on. Last time I was here, I had a pretty good bead on where the exit was, and the monsters guarding it seemed to fall right into my path as I made my way there."

"Wait…" Ian argued from his spot on the floor. "Why can't we just get to the exit _now_ and just forget about dealing with any other monsters."

"Oh," Victor snickered, "We can't do that. It's magically sealed, and won't be unlocked until all three Guardians are defeated." He smiled at the end and seemed to get a kick out of Ian's ignorance.

"Well, excuse me…" the boy-turned-puppet muttered. "So we're just to expect to easily find these Guardians as we keep moving?"

"Exactly," Victor agreed as he pocketed his notebook. "So let's get going, because I'm not sure if that Spider's self-destruct is going to activate or not."

Aaron suddenly whirled around at that. "Wait… Wait…" he stammered while fixing Victor with a wide-eyed stare. "Self-destruct?!" Everyone else had equally alarmed looks, except for Victor. Milly dashed forward and scooped up Ritsuko into her arms while Aaron did the same and grabbed poor Ian by the strings. The sound of Ian's pained shouts as he was pulled skipping along the floor echoed clearly off the walls. And then they were dashing off in another random direction, running as fast as their legs would move and darting around a corner to relative safety. All except for Victor, that is. He just came swaggering around the corner like nothing was wrong. And he was smirking wider than usual, too.

"Gotcha…" he laughed as he rounded the corner. "I just wanted to see how fast you guys can move. Those particular Launcher Spiders don't self-destruct. Let's go."

"Of all the insensitive, manipulative, singularly evil…." Milly muttered venomously at Victor's back, continuing on with several other insults as she fell in behind him, one hand firmly grasping the giant lollipop and the other gingerly tucking Ritsuko into the crook of her arm.

"By the way…" Victor called back, "I wouldn't suggest attacking everything we run into. Not all the monsters we meet in here will be enemies, and only two more will be necessary to defeat."

**--------------------------**

A few minutes after the group had departed; Copycat stepped from a patch of shadow on a wall and strode up to the fallen mess of the Launcher Spider. He chuckled to himself as he slid a hand into one of his front pockets, the other hand holding the mirror that hid his true face from sight. Assuming that he even had one to begin with. He pulled out a gold pocket watch and checked the time. "Hmph…" the shapeshifting clown mumbled, "Record time for defeating the first of my Guardians. But I wonder if they'll have enough spunk to do that with all three. I certainly picked some real buggers to deal with this time." An evil chuckle escaping from behind the mirror at the thought, but he canned it before it grew too loud for others to hear. He didn't want to ruin the surprise, after all. And it would be easier to keep track of them without their knowing it.

**--------------------------**

Several hours and several more dead ends later, and the same said group found themselves a treasure within this dungeon. Secreted away in one of the corners was an entire oasis within one of the various chambers. A huge block of stone covered the doorway, but Milly made short work of that with a swing of her lollipop when she felt the breeze on the other side.

A spring bubbled up from the center room and filled it with a pool of crystal clear water that fed vegetation surrounding it. The tall chamber allowed for the trees sprouting out of the ground to reach into the shadows above, perhaps reaching for the some far above roof as the vines that covered the walls. A pinprick of light at the top revealed a possible exit above them, but it was far beyond the reach of any of them.

"Well…" Victor chuckled, "That's convenient. Everyone take five. We should try to maintain our strength, for I don't know how long we'll be at this."

"Wow," Milly mused as she made for the edge of the spring. "Something that Victor doesn't know. I don't know whether to laugh or genuinely worry." Settling down at the edge, she set her lollipop off to the side and scooped up a good handful of water. "Mmm…" she commented after partaking of the water. "That's good. You know, it's weird that I'm not hungrier." Looking at the pool, she couldn't help but reflect on their situation. The worry was evident in her reflection in the water. "I mean…" she continued, "We've been wandering around this labyrinth for hours, and Aaron and myself actually found that Spider plus those weak little goblins that attacked us. Normally, after this much running around I should be famished."

"It's the effects of the labyrinth," Victor commented from the side. "Did you think the changes were purely cosmetic? No sir, it changes you on the inside. But don't worry," he assured her when he saw the worried expression, "It's nothing big, and it will go away once we get out of here. It's just that your strengths have been modified to match that of the monster whose form you've assumed. For you, it became necessary for you to carry that impressive chunk of hard candy. For Aaron, it became imperative that he be proficient with the swords he uses. On the opposite side, our friend Ian here lost strength as he's nothing but a little doll. And Ritusko… she is just a kitten."

Ritsuko responded with a hiss as Ian piped up, "Puppet, not doll."

"Meh… Semantics, really," Victor dismissed, "My point is that you have all been changed for your duration within this maze. Hunger doesn't affect you the same as before."

"And we'll change back once we're out, right?" If a puppet could frown at a thought, Ian would've been doing it right then. He didn't much like the idea of being unable to move for the rest of his life.

"Oh, certainly," Victor chuckled, "Otherwise you folks would've had a lot harder time believing I was a good guy."

"I still have trouble believing it," Milly deadpanned.

"And you're not the only one, my dear…" a voice called out from behind one of the trees off to the side. Everyone jumped as a tall woman emerged from the shadow of a tree and walked closer to the group. Actually, she was hovering towards the group, but again that's just semantics. As she came into the light, Milly couldn't help but notice that her skin was actually a pale blue. Combined with the green of her long flowing dress, it actually was understandable that she was hard to spot in this small oasis, especially since she had been hiding in shadow the whole time. She also wore a crest of white stone upon her brow and the shoulders of her gown were also adorned in a similar fashion. Not only that, but the tips of her ears were long and pointed.

"Wait a minute," Aaron called out as he rose from his spot on the floor. "Aren't you-"

"Yup!" Victor interrupted. Stepping over to the woman, he turned to announce formally to the rest of the group. "You folks might know this lady as the Mystical Elf. Personally, I just like to call Eve."

"My name is Evelyn," the elven woman corrected Victor with a mild glare, "but you may also call me Eve if you'd wish."

"Aaaaand…." Milly spoke, directing it towards Victor, "What exactly is Evelyn doing here? And why are you not surprised?"

"Oh that," Victor mused while he brushed off the front of his black coat, "I was guessing we might run into her at some point. Although…" he continued, turning to the woman in question, "I expected you to be closer to the exit by now. After I cleared the path..."

"You then collapsed a tunnel behind you in the process…" The elven woman sighed as she placed a hand to her forehead. Her eyes lost focus as she looked into the past. "I was close. Only two paces behind you, I am betting. But unfortunately, it seemed fate wanted me to stay in this place for some time more. I have been wandering here and there, and I have actually found some rather amiable locations, such as this oasis here." Her eyes regained focus as she came back to the present. "But do not worry, I am not angry with you, Victor Byron. Although part of me thinks that I should be. I am sure you did not intend to destroy the tunnel and trap me within this labyrinth for what has seemed like an eternity."

"All right, all right," Victor sighed, "I get it. I _am_ sorry. I really did think you would be right behind me. I really was waiting at the exit."

"Yeah, right…" Milly mumbled under her breath.

"I am sure you are being honest," Eve nodded, bowing her head forward in agreement. "Now," she continued as she straightened back up and looked to the others present, "would you be so kind as to introduce me to your new acquaintances here? I am afraid even their altered forms seem unfamiliar to me. Perhaps I have been in the labyrinth too long."

"Look Eve, I can take a hint…" Victor scoffed with an eyeroll following his words. "I really am sorry. But oh well, enough of the past. The lady in pink is the ever so friendly Milly Pegasus. Our friend in the samurai armor over there is called Aaron Strobers. Ritsuko Mibu is unfortunately unable to return your greeting as she is the little kitten there. And our good friend Ian Diots is pretty much only able to return your greeting as he can't move. He's the doll."

Ian grumbled, but had decidedly given up on correcting Victor. "Nice to meet you, Evelyn," he called out as he threw some mental daggers at Victor.

Everyone else responded in kind and took turns greeting the new person. As best as they could, anyway. Ritsuko was only able to mewl a "hello" and Ian… well… It's not as if he was able to wave at her or anything of the sort. "We are well met then, those who travel with Victor Byron," Eve replied.

"If you don't mind my asking," Milly commented as she rose to her feet, "but that is a rather interesting way of speaking there. You sound like..." she struggled to find the right word, but couldn't quite grasp it.

"Ha…" Victor laughed, "I believe the word you are looking for is old there, Milly."

Milly gasped and shot him a dirty look. "I would never…!" she retorted.

Eve responded by laughing lightly at Victor's comment. "It is all right, Milly Pegasus. He is correct in that I am old. I have trouble tracking time in this timeless dungeon, but alas my stay here has certainly become noticeable. Why, the fancy mechanisms you carry with you were likely but a dream in the world I grew up in. At least, I would imagine it quite likely."

Cutting in the conversation, quite literally, Victor stepped between the two with a hand pointing up as if he was making a point. "I do hate to interrupt the chick chat, but we have something to address." Turning to Eve, he folded his arms and took on his serious stance. "I'm sorry to get straight to business on you as well."

"It is in your nature, Victor Byron," Eve commented.

"Indeed," Victor dismissed, "but as I was saying, I need to ask you a question..." Victor paused for a moment, but then shook his head. "Check that, two questions. First, who's he?" he asked, pointing to the spot of shadows where Eve had emerged from earlier.

A deep and imposing voice chuckled from behind the shadows. "Ha… So you noticed me, did you?" the voice rumbled, the owner's outline barely visible in his hiding place before he stepped into the open. He appeared to be a knight in black armor, but unlike any ever seen in storybooks. Silver lines etched themselves across his armor, the color matching the impressive blades mounted on the back of his forearms and covering his hands. The dark figure stepped fully out of the shadows and proceeded to bow. "My name is Gregory. This dungeon has gifted me with the form of Gearfried the Iron Knight."

"Whoa…," Aaron chuckled darkly. "I'm starting to wonder just how many people Copycat has trapped down here."

"He has trapped hundreds," Gregory explained quickly, "The fiend is notorious for using this gambit; sending his would-be adversaries to a parallel dimension within his own Labyrinth. It is a despicable insult for those of us who would duel honorably."

"Uh huh," Victor noted as he turned his attention back to Eve. "Well, with all that said and done, I have my second question now: Have you seen the guardians that Copycat used to replace the ones we defeated? He's certainly had plenty of time, and I already know about the Launcher Spider. But, I was wonder if you knew of the other two, and also where we could locate them?"

"Indeed I do, Victor Byron," Eve nodded, "and if you so wish it, I could guide you to one that is quite nearby actually."

"Excellent," Victor spoke with a grin, "but I'm sensing a 'but'. There's a 'but', isn't there?"

"Indeed, you are quite perceptive," Eve nodded once again. "It is good that you defeated the Launcher Spider, as it is quite some distance away now. But of course you are aware of that. This second guardian will also be somewhat of a nuisance for you to meet and challenge."

"And why is that?" Aaron called out from his perch.

"The answer to that, Aaron Strobers," Eve explained, "is because it is a somewhat slippery foe. I myself have been having difficulty keeping track of the creature, as it has the ability to slip through walls and travel along them, much the way a phantom would."

"You're not talking about..."

"Indeed," Gregory concluded, "She is referring to the creature known as the Wall Shadow, a mysterious beast of shadow that moves through this labyrinth like its own playground. Every wall, every corner, and every dead end is a doorway it can use to get to us."


	23. Chapter 23

**--------------------------**  
Chapter 23  
**--------------------------  
**

"Indeed," Gregory concluded, "She is referring to the creature known as the Wall Shadow, a mysterious monster of shadow that moves through this labyrinth like its own playground. Every wall, every corner, and every dead end is a doorway it can use to get to us."

Ian couldn't help the chill that ran through his wooden body when he reflected upon their situation. They were trapped in an underground (or extradimensional) labyrinth made by that Copycat prick, had no way of knowing which direction they were going or how far, and they were also trapped in the form of Duel Monsters from their own decks to top everything off. _"And let's not forget that we're also cut off from using actually using our decks. But I suppose it could be worse,"_ thought Ian as he lifted his large wooden head in Victor's direction_. "At least Ann probably can't see me like this. I'd never hear the end of her teasing if she did."_

That was actually something they had all figured out while they had time to settle down and think after the battle with the Launcher Spider. Aaron, Milly, Ian, Ritsuko, and especially Victor had not only come to realize that their duel disks would not activate, but the few who actually possessed a connection with Duel Spirits back in their own dimension could no longer contact them in this maze. As doubtlessly unsettling the thought was for everyone else, Ian couldn't help but feel that particular sting a little more intensely than the others. "_Not that Ann has tried to talk to me in this world. Then again, maybe it's because she's actually solid here."_ His gaze took on the glazed appearance of someone who wasn't aware of their own surroundings, his mind circling around the question of Ann's wellbeing. "_What would the lot of them be doing in this world? Ann, Jack, Teddy.... They're all just a bunch of toys. And if Puppet is anything like the way I am now, then he's surely got to have it tough."_

"Ian!" Victor suddenly shouted, towering over the boy-turned-puppet and startling him out of his reverie. "Did you hear a thing we were just discussing?"

"As a matter of fact," Ian proclaimed boldly to Victor, "No, I didn't. I was lost in my thoughts. What do you want?"

"Victor Byron wishes to convey the recent topic of our discussion to you," Eve the Mystical Elf tossed in, interrupting Victor before he could come off with a snide remark. "We were just discussing the need for a means of defeating the Wall Shadow."

Gregory the Iron Knight seemed to chuckle at Ian's quisitive expression. "The Wall Shadow is a monster that is only material when it wants to be. Otherwise, it's nothing but an illusion. I hear tell that there is magic in this world capable of defeating the beast, but I doubt any one of us possesses such a thing at the moment."

"Soooo… In other words," Ian started with a slump of tiny shoulders, "we're...boned? What then?"

"Now hold on, my wooden friend," Victor chuckled. Ian pretended not to notice the horribly obvious jab as Victor continued, "he said 'I doubt' that we have that power, but then you've got to remember your dear friend Victor here."

"Excuse me?" Ian and Milly both asked simultaneously, although the latter had far more chagrin than the former. "How do you still figure we're friends?" Milly pursued.

"That doesn't matter," Ian interrupted Milly before continuing, "What do you mean, Victor?"

"Well…. I _was_ once in the employ of a certain dark monarch, you know…" Victor sighed a bit to himself, "and as such it came with certain perks. While I can't go into detail, I can say that it should be within my abilities to keep the ghoul in a physical state while the rest of us deal with it."

Ian almost seemed to lift a painted brow before growling, "Great. And what's that got to do with me? I can't move, remember?"

"Oh, it has nothing to do with you…" Victor smirked darkly. Once again, he seemed to be taking far too much delight in keeping everyone in suspense. "So that's why we're leaving you behind in here. With Ritsuko, of course. So it'll really just be the two of you in here."

"WHAT?!" Ian suddenly exclaimed. He pointed his gaze to Milly, who had just turned to look away from Ian and Victor, and anger crept into his voice as he spoke to her. "And _you_ of all people agree with this plan?!"

"I don't like it one bit," Milly answered evenly, although the tightness in her voice betrayed how defensive she really felt, "but it's a good idea. You and Ritsuko will stay safe here with Eve, while the rest of us will go take care of the Wall Shadow."

"Yeah, sorry man," Aaron added, "but there's no way we could take you along. Unlike the way Victor worded it just now, he pretty much admitted that it'll take a good deal of concentration for him to keep it solid. And the rest of us will have enough trouble fighting it without also keeping an eye on you two. I know you don't like it, but this really seems like the safest plan available."

Ian stared hard at all three of them. He was silent at first, as if he were digesting the words they had just said to them, and then seemed to stick out his jaw defiantly at each of them. "Well… Great…" he growled through clenched puppet teeth. "Fine. Go hurry up and take care of it, then. I'll just sit here and wait." With that, he turned away and glared at the nearest wall. He purposefully avoided their gazes, not because of the hurt he was feeling, but because he didn't want to see their pity. He could feel enough of it in their gazes, anyway.

"Heh…" Victor smirked. "I didn't expect you to get so worked up about not having to contribute. You never seemed like the type. But then… Whatever gets your goat is up to you."

"Victor…" Aaron grumbled lowly to Victor. He had one hand placed on the hilt of his sword. "Shut up."

"Ah look, here he goes again. Seems like only yesterday when you were just a stuttery little coward. They grow up so fast nowadays."

"Enough!" Milly called out when she made her way towards the door. "Let's just get this over with, shall we? I swear, when we meet this Wall Shadow, I'm going to have a whole new bucketful of pent up stress to relieve."

"Agreed," Gregory nodded. He came to stand next to Milly at the door. "I will lead the way to the Wall Shadow's last location. Stay close to me and be on alert. I prefer not to die because of some rookie's inexperience."

"Rookie?" Victor chuckled as they exited out the door, "I'm pretty sure I was taking names a lot earlier than you were."

A smirk came from behind Gregory's metallic helmet. "If that helps you sleep at night, then so be it," he started but the rest of his words were lost as they continued out to beyond Ian's hearing.

Once the last of them had gone and the door was shut behind them, Ian glanced at it with a glare from the corner of his eye. _"Good for nothing,"_ Ian thought to himself. "_They interrupt my thoughts just to tell me their leaving me behind. Well screw them… What am I even supposed to be doing here, anyway?"_

His train of thought was stopped as he realized that he was sitting in someone else's shadow. He looked up and caught sight of Eve just as she lowered herself to sit next to his tiny frame. He spotted Ritsuko already taking a nap next to the spring they had gathered around earlier, her breathing steady with the occasional twitch of a tiny black cat's ear. "It would seem your thoughts are elsewhere, Ian Diots," he heard Eve speak softly to him.

"Just grumbling over them leaving me behind."

"As I had thought, but I do not think that is the reason why you are angry." Eve's eyes locked with Ian's and silently asked him to speak the truth of his feelings. There was something strangely maternal in the way she was looking at him, even though the two had only known each other for a few minutes until now. It made Ian almost actually want to tell her what he was actually angry about.

Sighing to himself, Ian looked down in embarrassment. "Okay fine. You're right. I'm not actually angry at them for leaving me behind."

A soft whisper of a laugh left Eve's lips before she continued chiding him. Her arms clasped around her knees as she kept looking softly down at Ian. "I see…Would you mind explaining why you are angry?"

"As a matter of fact, I _do_ mind."

"I am sure that is true, but it would be good for your mind and soul if you would relieve this stress which you hold within yourself." Despite her kind words, her voice was hard and conveyed her true message; she wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

"Okay, fine…" Ian grumbled in defeat. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, despite not actually having the lungs for such a thing, and then started slowly and softly. "It's just that ever since we got here, I've been nothing but a third wheel the whole time. I've only been on the sideline while the others were fighting for their lives. Even before we came to this labyrinth. I still don't even know why Victor thought I was so important. There were dozens of duelists at the Academy better than me, even in Slifer."

"I have heard of this Duel Academy," Eve commented, "and while I may not know exactly anything of those who may reside within its walls, I will say this about you, Ian Diots. You are not useless. I am sure there is something grand in your future. But it is you who must discover it." Picking up the little doll, Eve shifted a bit and settled Ian down into her lap. "I know the feeling of hopelessness that you speak of. It has also haunted me in my time. And while I cannot say any one thing that can make it vanish from your mind, I can only convey my hope that you overcome this challenge."

Feeling strangely comfortable resting in her lap, Ian released a sigh as he continued mulling over his problem. "Yeah, right…" he mumbled sarcastically. "Then you obviously didn't see me while I stood on the sidelines, freezing up while Zaborg challenged Victor to a duel."

Eve's eyes suddenly went wide. "Victor Byron has dueled a Monarch?" Eve gasped. The alarm in her voice was clearly obvious to Ian, but she seemed to settle after releasing a very soft and very worrisome sigh. "That is a very dangerous and risky task, challenging a Monarch to a duel. It would seem Victor has become very powerful indeed since we last met."

"Yeah, whatever," Ian chocked, "you're not helping."

"I am sorry, Ian Diots…" she murmured, lifting a hand to gently stroke the top of the puppet's head. "But it is a grand feat to challenge a Monarch and survive. What became of the Thunder Monarch?"

"He's dead. But I didn't even see the fight since I was too busy-," Ian stopped himself before he began to recount what had actually happened to him during Victor and Zaborg's duel. "_Like it'd be smart to explain to a total stranger what the deal with that frickin' Old Vindictive Magician was. What was its name again? Mag? Whatever, I can't tell anyone that."_

Lucky for him, Eve did not catch that what he was about to run in. She seemed caught up on the first thing Ian had said. "A Monarch has been defeated in a duel? But that would mean their powers are not as grand as we were lead to believe. Perhaps there is hope for me yet." Realizing she was off on a tangent, Eve's focus returned as she looked back to Ian. "But of course, I knew that as soon as your group arrived. And I mean all of you. Even looking at you as you are now, I can see that there is more within Ian Diots than could be conveyed in any form. If Victor saw greatness within you, and even if that man did not, I am sure you have a great destiny before you."

"Sure…" Ian replied, though his tone was anything but completely convinced.

"Perhaps if I was made aware of all your ordeals, I could better phrase a redress of the situation," Eve chided.

"Fine," Ian muttered before beginning a recounting of all the events that had happened since Victor's arrival at Duel Academy. He continued talking even as a dark figure darted through the smattering of trees around the oasis, its beady little eyes on Ian and Eve. They were completely unaware of its existence as Ian continued his narrative with Eve prompting him several times for more details about the current part.

**--------------------------**

Meanwhile, as Ian and Eve's discussion trailed itself off into a retelling of the story thus far, a different exchange of words was between their friends as they battled the Wall Shadow.

"You know…." Milly gasped as she ducked under one of the Wall Shadow's sweeping claws. "This would be a lot easier if you could hold the thing down, Victor!"

"I'm trying, dear!" Victor replied with a laugh tinging his words. Despite everything that was having, despite the sweat beading on his brow and the fatigue draining his magical reserves, he somehow still felt the need to keep goading Milly into a flustered mess. "But it's enough of a task holding the thing _here_ let alone holding it _down_." He leapt back just as one of the monster's claws nearly grazed his gut, an orb of darkness covering his fist that he kept pointing at the creature. A tether streamed out of the orb and enveloped over the lower portion of the Wall Shadow's hideous form.

Its upper body was huge and grotesquely elongated, a humanoid shape with slick green skin and small red orbs embedded along the sides of its long neck, shoulders, and torso. Milly was sure that the cluster of orbs on its head served as eyes, but she couldn't understand why it had so many others lining the other places. Its face was equal parts ghoul and insect and ended in four long fangs that clacked restlessly. Each of its lengthy arms ended in a set of three impressive claws with which it used to swipe at the would-be fighters that dared to contest it. Moving down, it's lower half was nonexistent, just a mass of black shadow-like material that clung to the wall it had erupted out of to attack from. This is where the black tether from the orb covering Victor's hand connected to, the effect severing the creature from its ability to meld back into the wall. At least, so long as Victor was keeping his concentration.

Unfortunately for him and the others, the Wall Shadow was putting up quite a fight against that. Its focus was obviously primarily on the dark duelist, and it would only swipe at Aaron, Milly, and Gregory long enough to keep them out of the way. The knight himself seemed less than pleased with the current situation. Leaping forward, he brandished a bladed limb and called to the others, "Do not tally with conversation! Focus on the beast or you will die!" Exclaiming a proclamation against the Wall Shadow, Gregory dove in to draw a deep gash across the Wall Shadow's forearm. The monster roared back as it backhanded him, sending him sailing through the air and crashing into Victor. Victor gasped aloud as Gregory's body nearly crushed him against a section of wall, also causing him to lose his focus in the process. The tether connecting Victor to the Wall Shadow disappeared, and with it gone the Wall Shadow was free to shrink back into the wall and escape. It took on the image of a shapeless blob of shadow and then sped away from the group along the walls lining the corridor they had fought in.

"Damn it!" Aaron shouted as he recovered his footing. "It's getting away!" Rushing over to Victor and Gregory, he held out a hand to help Gregory up. He did the same with Victor, but had jumped back when he saw that he was already on his feet. "Let's go!" Aaron demanded impatiently. "We'll never find it if gets any more of a head start!"

"Right Right…" Victor smirked nonchalantly, but perhaps a bit too nonchalantly for Aaron's nerves to tolerate. "It's not getting far, you know. And now that I've gotten...in touch with it, I can track the thing over a certain distance. Let's go." In his usual fashion, Victor took off without waiting for a reply. The other three had no choice but to hurry in their attempt to keep up with him.

The group dove around several corners in an attempt to keep up with the wall-traveling beast, but it always seemed to be gaining distance on them. "We need to catch it before it has a chance to heal the wounds we gave it," Gregory huffed as they continued around yet another corner.

That was when Victor seemed to suddenly realize something. Something bad. "Drat…" the dark duelist growled as he came to a stop. "It's circling around. It's trying to put as many walls between us and it as possible. It must have taken several corners by now."

Milly snarled something unwomanly and then stepped up to Victor. "Which direction is it?"

Victor, an eyebrow raised in amusement, pointed to the wall on his left. "In that general direction, if I'm judging right."

"Great…" Milly muttered. She turned towards the wall and raised her giant lollipop like it were a massive hammer, gripping the shaft with both hands and taking a stance like a baseball player who has just stepped up to bat. The girl gave a wild cry as she swung her candied weapon at the wall, it was obvious from her dark expression that she took no small amount of pleasure in smashing a hole in the wall big enough for them all to walk though. And with a single swing, no less. What she stated earlier must've been true all along. She really _did_ have a whole bucketful of stress to relieve.

A satisfied sigh escaped from the blonde when she took note of her handiwork. "Man, that felt great," she started before donning another serious face at the others. "Anyway…It's too much work following the tunnels, so I say we make one of our own. Tell me when to stop or change direction." Without waiting for a reply, Milly hefted her lollipop over a shoulder and hopped through the hole she had just made to the other side. And without waiting for anyone to catch up, she resumed her batter's stance and smashed yet another hole in the wall in front of her once more. Much to the shock of the three men around her, you can be sure. Suddenly, they were all feeling a little bit smaller than before. Except for Victor, of course.

Victor fell in line behind her, leaving Aaron and Gregory momentarily behind in stunned silence until they realized they were being left behind and ran to catch up with them. Running in pace behind Milly, Victor grinned ear to ear. "I didn't know you had it in you," he shouted over the sound of crumbling rubble.

"Oh shut up," Milly shouted back as she hefted her lollipop and smashed through the next wall, this time not even stopping but instead using momentum to make up for the loss of strength.

That only made Victor laugh out loud as Aaron and Gregory caught up, Aaron pulling ahead slightly to move close by Milly on her left. The group continued in this formation as Milly smashed through several more walls, giving them substantial ground on Wall Shadow.

Then suddenly, Victor's smile vanished as he froze in place. "STOP!" he shouted, reaching out to catch Milly as she smashed through the next wall before them. He barely caught her in time as the wall crumbled and revealed itself to be an opening to a massive pit. A massively _deep_ black bit with no sign of a bottom. Victor grunted as he pulled Milly back over the edge. "Best be careful, my dear. I like your enthusiasm, though." He also noted out of the edge of his vision that Gregory had similarly caught Aaron, snagging him by the collar of his samurai armor as he teetered on the edge of the hole. "The beast tried to trick us. I should've known that this place had some pitfalls," Victor muttered, his breath slightly labored from the combination of running and stress from catching Milly. Closing his eyes to focus again on the taint he'd left on Wall Shadow, he reached out with his consciousness to see where it had ran off to next. "It's...." he began as the bearings came to him.

But then, as suddenly as he had reacted to the pitfall trap, Victor clutched Milly by the wrist and dove sideways just as the Wall Shadow's familiar arm exploded out of the darkness permeating a wall behind them, gouging deep cracks into the ground where they has just been sitting.

Just as quickly as the arm had appeared, so too did the rest of the Wall Shadow. It raised its other arm to bear on Aaron and Gregory. Pulling its entire torso out of the wall, it reared up and slammed its hand down in fury to crush the two warriors in a single blow. Gregory barely turned in time to cross his blades in a makeshift shield to catch the palm of the oversized hand and keep the claws off of him. He visibly strained as the blow slid him back several inches and pushed him towards the opening to the abyss.

Then, a blur passed Gregory as Aaron dove forward. Issuing a war cry, Aaron raised his two swords and shouted, "THIS ENDS NOW!" With a skill that bordered on being impossible, he drove his katana into the torso of Wall Shadow and jolted the monster off guard. Then, with a grunt of effort, Aaron leapt straight up and dragged his blade up along with him through the middle of the monster's body. The blade sliced clean and true, gliding up through the bulk of the monster and splitting it clean in half. As Aaron landed, so too did both halves of the Wall Shadow. They fell with a sickening splat of foul blood just as Gregory tossed the Wall Shadow's dead arm aside. Victor and Milly were raising to their feet soon afterward. The group watched as the entirety of the Wall Shadow dissolved into a puddle of black goop that pooled along the walls edge and dribbled down into the pit just behind them. The only trace that it had ever existed was a small black stain on the stone floor that wasn't washed away.

"Okay," Aaron muttered as he sheathed his swords. "It's dead now, right?"

"Oh yes, quite." Victor smirked at Aaron as he stepped past him. "Now I guess we ought to get started back."

"Indeed…" Gregory rumbled irritably from behind his helm. "But that is assuming the woman didn't get us lost. Excellent job, rookie."

"Oh, so I'm 'the woman', am I!?" Milly huffed indignantly while chasing after the other two to argue against Gregory's choice of wording. The sound of their arguments could be heard all throughout the labyrinth, or at least they sure _sounded_ like they did.

But meanwhile, Aaron was still standing near the edge of the pit and waiting until the other three weren't likely to look back for him. He double-checked to see if their eyes were looking elsewhere, and when he was sure they were, his face broke into a wide grin and he did a small but very nerdy victory dance. "_Yup, I feel awesome," _he thought happily to himself when he finally started running to catch up.

--------------------------

It took a little while for the group to find their way back to the oasis, but they eventually found themselves approaching the familiar entrance to the enclosed fountain and garden. Distracted by their own conversation, they didn't notice Eve racing up to them until she was practically right in their faces. She was out of breath when she finally held their confused attention, but the worry etched into her expression made it clear that something was not right. "Something's taken Ian and Ritsuko!" she exclaimed.


	24. Chapter 24

**-  
Chapter 24  
-**

"Something has taken Ian and Ritsuko!" Eve exclaimed as she gasped for breath. It was obvious that she was panicked, and running towards the group upon their return from the fight against the Wall Shadow probably hadn't helped slow her beating heart down. Here eyes darted from Milly to Victor, then to Aaron before finally settling on Gregory. "It was that little thing. The Critter," she explained.

"Critter?" Milly repeated with confusion. "That doesn't say much. And what are you talking about? How did they just make off with Ian and Ritsuko. And who are they anyways?" she queried, her steps drawing her closer to Eve without her realizing it.

"Easy there," Gregory interrupted, throwing an arm infront of Milly to slow her steps. "You'll frighten the her, and then we'll hear nothing more. Besides, she has already states who the perpetrator was."

"Really?" Aaron asked, "cause I didn't hear a name."

"You folks would be calling it Sangan," Victor chuckled, stepping up to face Gregory. "What's that little bugger doing stepping around here? I thought Copycat only tossed dangerous opponents in here, the kind that would pose a challenge to him if left unchecked."

"I believe it merely annoyed him," Gregory explained as he turned to place his hands on Eve's shoulders. "Now then, Evelyn, this is important. Do you know which way Sangan ran?" He stared into her eyes, scanning her face as she tried to recall.

She returned his gaze with a moment of fear, certainly one drawn from an idea that she'd be punished for losing the other two, but finally settled down and calmed her breath. Turning away, she sighed and put a hand to her head. "I think they were heading down that hall," she explained slowly, point down a corridor that ran to the left of where they were standing. Turning back, she bowed deeply before continuing. "I apologize for losing your comrades, everyone. I will do my best to aid you in their safe return."

"Meh," Victor chuckled, stepping forward before walking right past her. It looked for a moment like he was just stepping up to talk to her, perhaps comfort her and tell her it wasn't her fault.

Then he continued right past her, casually throwing up the sign that they should be following him. "It doesn't matter, as long as we get them back. We need the entire team together, so let's go find that damn critter."

Eve paused for a moment, slightly dumbfound at Victor's blasé attitude. Then she closed her eyes and smiled, chuckling slighty to herself. "Of course," she said, although to who was up to debate.

_Sometimes, I'll never understand that guy, _Aaron thought to himself as he jumped up to rejoin the others. "So, uh, question here."

"Fire away," Victor mused.

"How are we going to find a Sangan that's likely hiding with Ian and Ritsuko. They're all so small, they could be anywhere! And on top of that, why'd it even take them anyways?"

"It likely considers them a possible escape route," Gregory suggested. "It would not be foolish to consider any new inmates of this strange dungeon to have more information about it. If anything else, it could be the minion of someone who wants them. There are too many variables to know for certain. In any event, we should be quick to find them lest something unfortunate happen."

"Like what?" Milly asked quietly as the hand holding her giant sucker clenched a little more.

"You would rather not to want to know," Gregory responded, continuing forward with that weighing heavily in the air.

The comment ceased the conversation considerably, but eventually Gregory's focus shifted from straight forward, and instead he started to survey their surrounds. "Hmmm," he grumbled, suspicion filling his gaze.

"Yeah," Victor responded, answering the unspoken question. "We're close to where my accident with Eve happened." He paused in consideration as well, then continued with suspicion now in his voice as well. "You don't think it's been fixed and that he's considering using _that _way out, do you?" Picking up his stride, he stepped ahead of the group, stopping just ahead of them to survey the walls and ceiling of the corridor.

"Wait, what's going on?" Milly interrupted. "What are you talking about and what is '_that_ way out'?"

"There is an actual exit to this labyrinth close by," Gregory explained. "It is the only physical means of excaping this wretched place without taking out the three guardians that Copycat established. Even then, it is likely that one is posted there now that I think about it."

"Well, that's great then," Aaron voiced. "We can sack this last guy, then we're in the home stretch for getting outta here since it's likely Sangan will be there with Ian and Ritsuko, right?"

"So it would be assumed," Gregory answered, turning to nod at Evelyn. Her expression faultered for a moment, but only a moment. Closing her eyes, she relaxed her head and began mumbling something.

"Well then, we'll just have to-" Victor started, turning around to address the group. He paused in mid-sentence as he caught sight of Eve. "Oh no!" he shouted, dashing forward, he dived in what looked like a tackle aimed at Eve.

He was merely inches away from her as she finished the incantation, transporting herself and Gregory several dozen feet down the hall. "What in the world?" Milly exclaimed, obvious dumbfounded by their suddenly translocation.

With nothing to stop his dive, Victor crashed to the ground, drawing everyone's attention to the fact that lines were starting to glow on it. "Dammit," Victor chuckled viciously, pounding his fist into the stone. Picking himself up, he continued chuckling as he turned to face Eve and Gregory as the lines finsihed drawing themselves. He, along with Milly and Aaron, found themselves trapped with a glowing circle drawn upon the ground. Within it a design glowed in white and green with it's own life. "I truly didn't expect you to try that, you blank-faced bastard."

"What can I say," Gregory mused sinisterly as a hand reach up. It grabbed a hold of the air below his chin, forcing a mirror to appear. He waved it off to the side, wiping away the illusion to reveal himself. "I am rather unpredictable, aren't I?" Copycat laughed.

"You," Aaron growled as he surged forward, rushing Copycat the moment his diguise was dropped. The killer intent in his eyes dissappeared in moments however, it quickly being replaced with pain and suprise as he bounced off an invisible wall lining the edge of the circle.

Copycat laughed out laugh, scarcely maintain a grip on the mirror as he bent over. Catching his breath again, he stepped over to Eve, resting his empty hand on her shoulder. "A delicate elf that lacks offense, but has a terrific defense backed by mystical power," he quoted. "It certainly fits the bill, I must say. That Spellbinding Circle is designed to hold in any number of even the strongest of Duel Monsters, so you three have no chance to break free. I had hoped to prolong this amusement, but I guess all good things must come to an end."

"Why don't you face me for real?" Aaron bellowed, jumping back up while drawing his sword in the same motion. He struck out several times, drawing several lines across the invisible barrier that quickly faded away. "You're a coward."

"No," Copycat responded, all hints at the previous humor in his voice now lost, "I am one of the greatest of the great Monarch Army. My dueling prowess and inherent powers have left me untouched, and removed numerous obstacles to my master's goals. You are but a puny human, playing at being a hero. If not for the nuisance it would be, I would gladly grand your request." Pulling his hand off of Eve's shoulder, he thrust it forward to point at Aaron. "It has been some time since I've slain an enemy with my own hands. While I do not find disdain for the act, the mess it leaves is quite bothersome. And on an aside," he continued, his finger now pointing to Victor, "there are some far too tricky to be trusted. You think my ploy to be devilish, but it is merely a parlor trick compared to the acts performed by that...man." The last word seeped out of Copycat as if he was reviled by the mere act of saying it. He spat it out filled with hate before settling back to straighten his outfit.

"Evelyn," he called out, his voice now returning to the even tone they were used to, "be so kind as to double the protection. I wouldn't trust him to be unable to hand one, but two should suffice in troubling him."

"As you wish," she murmured, bowing her head again in concentration. Again, an incantation escaped her lips and was quickly followed by magic. This time, solidly constructed chains tore themselves out of the walls, lashing back and forth until they had formed a netted ring around the circle that enclosed the three.

"a masterful Shadow Spell," Copycat cheered, clapping one hand on the back of the other. "I am so glad I taught you those tricks.

"M-m-may I," she started, turning saddened eyes upon the shapeshifter. "May I leave this wretched place now, as you agreed?"

"Hmm," he thought, exaggerating the motion by tilting his head and resting his chin upon the top of the mirror he held up. "I believe the requirement of your release was that you fulfill the role that was vacated. The role, the likes of which being the duties of one of my Guardians, was to make certain that the established targets would not be able to ever leave this labyrinth. I fail to see two of their teammates entrapped with your spells."

For a moment, it appeared as if Eve would collapsed. Her head dropped and her entire body began shaking. "How much," she whispered as her legs gave out beneath her, "how much must I do. I have already betrayed such kind and generous people, yet you wish more of me."

"It was the deal you were offered," Copycat answered, his voice once again adopting the cold tone he had used when addressing Aaron. "It was a deal you accepted, so if you ever wish to escape this 'wretched place', you would do well to abide by the terms of that deal."

Silence suffocated the room as Copycat stared down at Evelyn. Aaron and Milly were staring on with obvious bewilderment on the faces. Victor was maintained as always, merely content to stand at the edge of the circle as his piercing gaze took note of every detail of the conversation. Evelyn could only shake.

Then she finally stood, unable to raise her head and stare Copycat in the eye. "Fine," she finally spoke, a chilly lack of emotion echoing in her voice. "I will do as you wish, then leave this place and never look back."

"Hmph," Victor laughed aloud suddenly, starting everyone in the corridor, even Copycat. "As if you could ever do that, Eve my dear," she chuckled quietly but boldly. "We both know you're not a killer, and will never be one."

She started back at him, several emotions washing across her face. Surprise was quickly replaced with anger, then agitation, then finally she broke away as tears began to fill her eyes. Dashing away, she turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

Copycat watched her run past him, then turned his gaze back to Victor. "You truly are a being of evil," he commented. "When will you learn that and return to our side?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer as he turned around and walked off, seemingly following Eve since he walked took the same corner.

"You such a heartless prick," Milly growled, turning on Victor with disapproval clear on her face. "How could you say that to her? I thought you two were friends?"

Victor sighed, then scratched the back of his head. "As much as it pains me," he explained, although his expression and tone failed to match the words, "it was necessary to send her off so that we could make out escape. So without further ado, let's make that escape."

"How?" Aaron exclaimed, "we're stuck in not one, but two traps! I don't even know the first thing about escaping magic spells."

"It's quite easy," Victor explained as he pointed outside the circle. Following his direction, Milly noticed the tip of one of the runes on the ground, a triangle that was within one of the circle within the larger circle, glowed with a silvery light. Moreso, it seemed the glow was centered just beyond the invisible wall. "Traps are a sketchy thing," Victor continued explaining, "as they're quite easy to destroy, especially these continuous ones. You merely have to take out their anchor and they fall to bits." He then pointed to the wall in several locations, each indication revealing a similar glow located upon where a cluster of the chains seemed to break out of the wall.

"But that's outside the circle," Milly noted. "We can't reach it. I don't think anything can get through this wall."

"Then we ask for someone out there to do it for us," Victor chuckled, turning around to walk to the opposite side of the circle. His infamous all-knowing smirk now playing across his lips, Victor stood defiantly close to to the barrier. "Come," he commanded. "Come."

From the depth of the darkness at the end of the corridor, Milly and Aaron found themselves rattled by a bellowing roar.


	25. Chapter 25

**-  
Chapter 27  
-**

From the depth of the darkness at the end of the corridor, Milly and Aaron found themselves rattled by a bellowing roar.

"W-What in the world is that?" Milly questioned to Victor, her voice still shaking after hearing such a roar. She turned her gaze to glance up at the other man for an explanation, but the only thing she got from him was a bemused grin as he stepped closer to where the roar had come from. It was enough to make her eyes widen considerably, her expression mixing with both shock and growing fear. "Don't tell me that's one of your pet zombies, isn't it? I thought we weren't able to use our cards in this labyrinth."

The question made Victor stop in his steps and turn to look at Milly with a knowing grin. "What?" he chuckled as his hands entered the deep pockets of his coat, "you don't recognize the voice of your own friend?"

"Friend?" Milly queried again, the fear fading as it gave way towards confusion.

At that point, a second roar echoed through the corridors to shut down Victor's response. A large portion of the shadows covering the stone walls and floor darkened as a new mass came charging out of it. All at once, a large black mass leaped forth, teeth and claws reaching out to tear out the anchor points of the two Traps surrounding Victor and the others, even as a screechy little voice called out jibberish from somewhere near the charging beast. If one were to look close enough, it would almost appear that a second (and much smaller) black mass was somehow _riding_ atop of the giant one!

Then, before Milly or Aaron could realize what was happening, the barriers failed and disappeared entirely, symbols fading and chains collapsing to the floor. Then, to their utter dismay, the found themselves staring down face-to-face with a very large black feline. It was massive, easily towering over Milly and the others, and it stared back with a face marred by twin scars over one eye. The darker stripes running over most of its body gave it a tiger-like appearance, and the more that Milly stared at them and the beast, the more familiar they became to her. Her hanging jaw snapped shut and her brow furrowed slightly as she stepped closer to the enormous cat, her hand slowly and cautiously lifting up to touch the cat's massive snout.

"Ritsuko?" Milly gasped with awe.

With a sound that almost sounded like a purr and a growl, the large cat suddenly settled back and gave an emphatic nod to Milly. "_Look at me!" _Ritsuko thought, her elation unheard by her friend even though they stood face to face. "_I'm huge! Those chains didn't even stand a chance."_

"Very well done, Ritsuko," Victor commended as he walked around behind her to reach behind her back. Before anyone could question his motives, he reached up and yanked something off of Ritsuko's back with abrupt force. Aaron could barely make out the furball with limbs that Victor now held hanging by an arm. "Although I do believe you overdid it, Sangan."

"Sorry master," the three-eyed thing warbled back. The little fiend could only squirm in Victor's grip as it tried to reach for the arm holding it with a hand, although it didn't really seem to mind being held like that. Instead, it almost seemed to be wanting to get closer to Victor and try climbing up his arm. "It seemed like a good idea at the time, plus she didn't seem to mind."

"I'm sure," Victor shrugged, notching an eyebrow at Ritsuko, "but I did say Black Tiger LV4, not LV6. Any bigger and we'd start to have real concerns." He shrugged again and dropped the squirming critter. "At least you did retrieve Ian and Ritsuko from Evelyn as I instructed. I trust Ian has already been taken care of?"

"Yes, he's where you said to take him." replied the little Sangan.

"And his condition?"

"Fixed. Right as rain, boss."

"Hold on!" Aaron suddenly shouted. The mention of Ian on Victor's lips had made him tear his gaze away from Ritsuko and her new body to where Victor was standing with Sangan. His eyes were narrowed at the other man and he almost seemed like he was about to draw one of his swords. "Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Not all of it," Victor responded, settling himself back again Aaron's advances. "I merely played the odds I expected from what I figured out."

"And exactly how much did you figure out?" Aaron argued. "And when were you planning on explaining this to us?"

"I don't see where that's really your concern at this moment," Victor countered, "especially considering we should make out way to the exit now unless we wish to leave our pal Ian alone."

"Wait, what?" Aaron spat, his line of thought obviously interrupted with the new information.

"Ian is at the exit, waiting for Evelyn and Copycat to reach him. It's his task to slow them 'till our arrival.

"Well then let's be off then," Milly exclaimed before she stepped up between Victor and Aaron. "If he's by himself, he'll need our help. We can deal with you," she continued, throwing a glare at Victor, "and your methods later."

"Well said," Victor chimed jovially. With that, he continued striding past Milly and stepping up Ritsuko. After eyeballing her for a moment, he chuckled lightly. "Well, at least Sangan's folly can be useful for once. Care to give us a lift, Ritsuko?"

Ritsuko tilted her head for a moment before realizing what Victor was asking. "_You guys are seriously going to ride on my back?" _She thought, even though she knew directing the thought at them wasn't going to get much of an answer. Looking them over, she realized it wouldn't be much work and nodded at Victor.

"Excellent," he only replied. With a light step, and after gently grabbing a handful of Ristuko's fur, he carefully vaulted himself up and over Ritsuko's tiger body and landed just before her shoulder blades. The action was even enough to startle Ritusko, despite the fact that she was expecting it. "Well, milady," Victor chuckled sarcastically as he held a hand out to Milly, "shall we be off?"

"Don't even try that on me," she countered, throwing her massive lollipop up at Victor. He caught it in his outstretched hand with ease and settled it across his lap while maintaining one hand on Ritsuko to keep his balance. Ignoring his feat of dexterity, Milly pulled herself up and settled in right behind him.

"Let's go, let's go," the Sangan chattered, suddenly jumping up on Aaron's back and pointing to Ritsuko. "It's fun, you'll see."

Aaron could only groan at that and then pulled himself up alongside Milly, gladly accepting the blonde's outstretched hand due to the extra weight of his armor and Sangan. "Right then," Victor called out, "let's be off."

With that, Ritusko nodded her massive feline head and then sprang forward towards where Victor had pointed the exit to be. Her movements were powerful and graceful, her muscles surging forward beneath her fur coat despite the extra three passengers and the furball on her back. If anything less, it seemed she was enjoying the fact that she could.

Meanwhile, Ian had already found himself staring down Copycat and Eve. "Right then," Copycat chocked, "so this is where you wandered off to? I'm so glad that that little Critter didn't ditch you somewhere...harmful."

Ian stared back with a fierce look in his now-human eyes. It was all thanks to some gadget Victor had given Sangan right before the furball had left with Ritsuko to find the others. It had looked like something a medical tool, sharp and polished, which wasn't all that surprising considering that Sangan had gotten it from Victor. What had surprised Ian was the fact that it had looked oddly similar to a device he had once seen on the card "DNA Surgery", which had been held by one of the three goblinoid doctors depicted on the card. He'd regained his normal body with it, and was once again sporting his Slifer Red garments and duel disk. Even better yet, it worked, and he could feel the connection to his Forgotten Toys through it once again. "You're not going any further, Copycat. Sangan explained your tricks to me, so don't even try anything."

"Am I really that predictable?" Copycat laughed in amusement. "To think that little furball could sum up all my brilliant escapades is preposterous, to say the least. I will have to find it and teach it a lesson now." If anything could be gained from the body language of someone without a face, it would be that he truly felt slighted at being summed up so easily by such a critter. "But no, where was I? Ah yes, I was watching your pitiful attempt to confront me."

"Pitiful? Don't make me laugh," Ian replied sharply.

"But you're already doing such for me," Copycat countered. "To watch you play hero with the rest of these...children...is refreshingly amusing. I haven't had this much fun since the last time a band of Duel Academy students was dropped here. Then again, I'm thinking this is more fun since I missed the big members of that last bunch. Can't quite recall their names at the moment, but they were apparently quite fun to play with."

"So what's the deal?" Ian sniped, "gonna stand there and try to bore me to death with your stories? I get it, you've been around the block a bit. Your point?"

"It's just that I don't feel like I should need to fight you," Copycat chuckled. "After all, the way you are...we should be on the same side, actually."

"Don't even think about giving me that 'we're just alike' speech and trying to recruit me. That kind of evil villain stuff is so cliché that it's not even funny."

"Heh," Copycat smirked, "first of all, we aren't alike. I'm much better than you. But yes, you should be on our side. I can see it in you; the will to destroy. I'm not gonna say anything as cliché as 'I know the darkness in you' or 'join me in darkness' or that such nonsense. But I sense such a killer instinct from you." Copycat paused at the moment, seeming to survey Ian with much thought. "Could it be that other deck of yours?"

Ian's breath caught in his throat as he unconsciously settled his hand on top of the deckbox strapped at his hip. "_Right on the mark,"_ he thought, grimacing at Copycat's accuracy.

"Oh," Copycat trilled, "it seems I am correct? What is that little beauty you hide there? Whoever they are, can they come out and play?"

"Not with the likes of you," Ian resisted. "_Not ever if I have much say in it."_

"Oh, I do love a good surprise," Copycat laughed suddenly. He was actually clapping in approval of Ian, the mirror simply hovering over his face without a hand to hold it up. "Very well, I suppose we should end this charade. We both know how this is going to end."

"You're going down," Ian challenged, lifting his arm up as he turned on his duel disk. The machine hummed to life, it's central light beginning to glow as the card trays extended.

"Oh, and now who's the one being cliché, Mr. Challenger?" Copycat taunted as he revealed his own arm. He wore a disk that mirrored Ian's Duel Disk, including the part where it was powering up. But then suddenly, he slid it off his hand and held it off to his right in a single motion. Eve, who happened to be standing there, could only look at him dumbfounded. "Take it," he ordered. "Defeat him and you'll go free. Don't even worry about the deck. It _is _your deck. I'm not the type to cast aside such amusing trinkets as those."

Eve looked at Copycat, then the duel disk in his hand, and then back to Copycat before finally looking at Ian. The tiniest hint of tears welled up her eyes before she shook her head, casting them back before they could surface. Murmuring something to the effect of, "I'm sorry," she grabbed the duel disk and turned to Ian. "I can not go easy on you, Ian Diots."

Ian, on other hand, hardly seemed surprised at all by this turn of events. It was as if he had been expecting Copycat to pull such an underhanded trick all along. Maybe he hadn't known that he would actually do that, but the tactic was hardly surprising considering what Ian had seen from him until now. "I was afraid of that," Ian replied steadily to Eve, "and neither can I." Settling back, he raised his duel disk and prepared himself. "But you," he called out, turning his head to Copycat , even as the shapeshifter strolled off to the side. "You're next."

"As if," Copycat scoffed, dismissing Ian's threat with a wave of his hand. Etching several movements into the air, Copycat seemed content with himself after producing a chair from thin air. Now settled down comfortable, he steepled his hand and stared intently at Ian. Or so he appeared since the mirror was still covering his face. "Here's the deal, if you're willing to take it," he explained, looking at neither Ian nor Eve, but instead staring straight ahead. "Defeat your opponent and you shall go free. Taste defeat...and we'll see what will be your treat."

Ian could only grimace at Copycat's promise before turning back. The sounds of both their duel disks whirling to life wasn't the only thing causing noise. A loud grinding forced Ian to look behind himself, and filled his face with surprise.

"I've been meaning to ask," Milly called out, forcing Victor to turn around while maintain his grip. "If there's an exit to this maze, why don't people just find that instead of fighting Copycat's guardians?"

"The door is locked," Victor explained. "And the only way to open it is to enact a duel. Trust me, when you're like this," he continued while nodding at her outfit and then down at Ritsuko,."it gets kind of hard."

"So then how..." she started, but Victor's smile cut her off.

"In defeating the guardians," Victor explained, "you do not gain yourself freedom from the maze, but instead freedom from the transformation. This let's you duel your way out. If one could simply fight their way out of the complexity, then far more would've escaped by now. You didn't think this was going to be that easy, did you?"

"You know," Milly smiled, her hands gripping the giant sucker a little tighter, "for a second there, yeah, I kinda did."

To Ian's surprise, the entire wall behind him had slid open, revealing a path to the outside. Even as he watched on, light forced its way in along with a stiff breeze. Or perhaps it just felt that way since the labyrinth was stuffy, he wasn't sure. One thing that was for certain was that it was the way out.

"What do you think?" Copycat chuckled. "You stand mere paces from freedom. All you need to do is defeat our dear friend Evelyn here, and the doors will stay open long enough for you to make you mistake. They might even stay open long enough for your friends."

"Whatever you say," Ian scoffed. "_As if I'd listen to your taunts any longer._" he thought before narrowing his gaze at Copycat. "I don't care about escaping. Just listen to this, Copycat. As soon as I'm done here, I'm coming after you." Ian's hand went to his deck as he drew his top five cards.

"So fiesty," Copycat chuckled, "just like your other friends. It seems my job here was a rousing success."

"Say what?" Ian commented, his guard suddenly lowered by the odd comment.

"Quite frankly," Copycat chuckled, shrugging casually at Ian's confusion, "I was merely tasked with inciting your petty little gang. For some reason, my master wants you band of idiots to truly crave the destruction of the Monarchs and their minions. I can't say I would know why, but I so do enjoy the task."

"So I figured," Ian chocked before he jumped slightly at the sound of Eve clearing her throat.

"If you do not mind, Ian Diots," Eve explained, "I would rather end this as soon as possible." Her eyes drifted to the exit, then returned their focus on Ian. "I would like to escape my bondage now, so I fear I cannot go easy on you. I hope you can forgive me."

"Yeah," Ian scoffed, settling back as Eve drew her starting hands, "I was afraid of that. Let's get this over with."


	26. Chapter 26

**-  
Chapter 26  
-**

The duel had officially begun.

"I take the first action," Eve announced as she drew her first card of the duel. She studied her hand for a moment, her gaze narrowed as she examined her hand closely, only to select three cards before placing them onto her Duel Disk.. "I activate the Spell Card known as Double Summon, which gives me the ability to Normal Summon twice this turn. So come forth, Amazoness Paladin and Amazoness Tiger."

A small pillar of energy rose up on Eve's side of the field, growing for a second before splitting itself into twin streams that struck two spots in front of where the woman was standing. In seconds, a massive tiger with a scar over one eye appeared and lumbered forward, lowering its head to growl menacingly at Ian. Standing next to it was a lean yet powerful female warrior clad in a dusty cloak and tunic. She had long blonde hair that was partially concealed by the hood of her cloak, tribal feathers around her shoulders and skirt, and metal armbands covering each of her forearms. She also held a battle-worn sword in one hand while the other was placed gently on top of the tiger's broad head, scratching it affectionately while the woman's lips curved into a smirk directed at Ian. The way her eyes sparkled with cunning was almost enough to make Ian wonder which of them was more dangerous, the warrior woman or the tiger at her side.

"With both of these on the field, their Attack Power are both at 1900," Eve explained. "Also, Amazoness Tiger prevents you from attacking any of my other Amazoness monsters. It is quite the lovely defender."

Ian couldn't help but grimace at the immediate field presence staring him down. "Yeah," he grumbled, "I can see that. My turn," he called out, drawing his card. A glimpse of his hand had him grimacing even more. "_I can't do anything right now to deal with her deadly duo, so I guess I'll just stall for time," _he grumbled to himself mentally. He knew from the beginning that this duel wasn't going to be easy, especially since it concerned his and also Eve's release from this labyrinth prison, but this hand was almost even too ridiculous even for that. "I'll set one monster before activating my own Spell. Go! Swords of Revealing Light!"

At his command, the spell flashed into play and conjured a rain of glowing swords that blocked the center of the playing field. "One trap card face-down, and I end my turn," he finished.

"We will not get very far in this endeavor, Ian Diots," Eve noted calmly as she drew her own card. "I cannot allow that, so I must do this, even if it is with much regret. I activate this Spell Card, Mystical Space Typhoon. It will rid the field of your intrusive Swords of Revealing Light." An image of the card she had played appeared on the field with a flash of light, only to suddenly burst forth with a whirling gale that flew right at where the Swords had struck the field earlier. They were no match for the Mystical Space Typhoon's destructive power, and each and every one of them immediately shattered into tiny bits of light that were blown away by the dwindling breeze.

The victory was in Eve's favor, but the woman was already moving right along without batting an eyelash. Her Spell had triumphed this time, yet she wasn't even showing the slightest bit of satisfaction because of it when she played her next card. "With your Swords of Revealing Light destroyed, my monsters are free to attack. I summon the Amazoness Swords Woman."

In time with her words, another flash of light briefly lit up her side of the field and reformed into another one of her female warriors. This one had wild red hair that flared out in every direction, as well as an equally fierce looking sword and disposition. Her armor was almost nothing more than carved bone adorned with spikes that covered her legs, chest, hips, and forehead. Chuckling aloud, she stepped forward and pointed her sword at Ian before settling back into a readied stance. "With this new addition to my field, both the Attack Power of my Amazoness Tiger and Amazoness Paladin rise up even higher. My Paladin's Attack Power has risen to 2000 while my Tiger's is now at 2300." announced Eve when her newest monster had joined her other two waiting for it.

"_Not good,"_ Ian thought to himself. Looking at his hand, he only mumbled to himself before looking back up at Eve. "You really do intend to kill me, don't you?" He grimaced as the words left his mouth, almost as if just saying them left the most horrible of tastes in his mouth.

"I am afraid so, Ian Diots," Eve replied, her gaze slipping as her thoughts reflected upon her own incarceration. "I have been isolated in the labyrinth for some time, a period I cannot measure but know in my heart to be a small eternity. It has weathered me, and I will do what is necessary to escape." Her eyes suddenly sharpened as she returned to the match. "But enough idle chatter, I shall now declare my attack. Amazoness Tiger, destroy his face-down monster with all of your might."

As soon as Eve's words had reached its ears, the Amazoness Tiger let out a terrible roar and pounced at the face-down card on Ian's side of the field. Its lips were drawn back in a snarl as it prepared to rake its claws across the back of Ian's card, a fearsome glint shining in its single eye that brimmed with unleashed power. But just before the claws would've actually touched the card Eve had commanded it to attack...

"Not so fast," Ian exclaimed as his card flipped up, revealing the image of a small yet familiar rag doll. "I had set Forgotten Toy-Ann, and her effect will let me Special Summon another Forgotten Toy from my hand. I Special Summon my Forgotten Toy-Jack in Defense Mode!"

The image of little Ann emerged from the picture and the card and she almost seemed to glare hotly at the Tiger coming for her. She managed to avoid the first swipe of the beast's claws, her body floating surprisingly nimble in the air as she turned towards Ian and reached for one of the cards in his hand with one of her stubby little limbs. "You totally owe me for this," she grumbled before she picked out Jack's card and threw it down onto the field, just moments before the Tiger finally managed to tackle her and send her to the Graveyard. She let out a yell as her stuffed body was smothered by the Tiger's bulk, only to suddenly shatter into a tiny fragments that disappeared soon after. Forgotten Toy-Jack had appeared on the field just before Ann was destroyed and before the Tiger had retreated, revealing a battered-looking wind-up box with a load that sprang open to let Jack have a look at what was happening. The toy took one look at the fearsome opponents standing across the field, then looked back at Ian with a hopeless look upon his cracked face, and then finally retreated back into the safety of his box with a click of its latch.

_**Forgotten Toy-Ann**_

DARK  
Spellcaster/Effect  
FLIP: Special Summon 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your hand. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1000/1000

_**Forgotten Toy-Jack**_

EARTH  
Warrior/Effect  
As long as this card is face-up on your side of the field, you opponent cannot attack another "Forgotten Toy" monster you control. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
500/2500

"With Jack on my field in defense position, I'm protected," Ian explained. "Nothing you have can get past his 2500 Defense Power. Not for the moment, anyway..."

"That is untrue, Ian Diots," Eve countered almost immediately. "I'll concede that your monster boasts considerable Defense Power, but that won't help you here. I attack Forgotten Toy-Jack with Amazoness Swords Woman."

"What?" Ian exclaimed as the fierce Amazon lifted her sword and charged at Jack's box. In the last seconds of her charge, she came to a standstill before actually throwing her weapon at Jack. He responded by recoiling back into his box, and the sword bounced into the air harmlessly. "What do you think you're accomplishing?" Ian exclaimed before noting the Amazon's fierce grin.

Suddenly, the sword fell from the sky, shaving past Ian and taking 1000 of his Life Points with it. "Gah," Ian gasped as he reached for the spot on his arm where the sword had grazed him. It had no visible wounds, but was in an incredible amount of pain nonetheless. "How the hell did that happen?"

"When my Amazoness Sword Woman battles a monster," Eve explained, "all damage that would be dealt to me is dealt to my opponent instead. She does not accept defeat so readily."

Eve | Ian

4000 | 3000

"I see," Ian chuckled through clenched teeth, his arm still sore from the blow. Straightening back up, he barely had a second of being upright before he was nearly doubled over by losing his footing. Before his very eyes, several blocks from the ground beneath him simply disappeared and revealed a black abyss directly beneath both himself and Eve. He actually had to resettle his footing, otherwise he might place a foot in one of the many holes that formed beneath him. "Now what?" he gasped.

"That would be the rules I arranged for this little charade," Copycat interrupted with a delightful little cackle "Look behind you, and witness the end result."

Ian turned again and noted the wall that opened up to reveal the exit. As he watched, bricks taken from the floor continued to appear around the whole and gradually form into an archway of sorts, almost like a mystical portal that lead from here to the outside world. "So that's what you're doing," he growled. His attention was back on Copycat when he spoke again. "You're using our lives to form the gate that'll take one of us out of here. That's low, even for you."

"Indeed," Copycat shrugged sarcastically, "as a player loses Life Points, the bricks beneath their very feet will leave to brace the door for their opponent's escape. This way, the only guarantee for retreat is to ensure the other's demise."

"You twisted son of a-" Ian started, but cut himself off before he could say something he would regret.

"Oh you," Copycat laughed. "Also, as an additional cost for _you_ should you happen to be defeated, I will transform you back into that miserable little puppet-form you enjoyed not too long ago. And also, don't even thing about retreating from this match now. The hole in the ground _will _chase you, and won't miss if you attempt to run. You should ask Eve about that one."

Ian's attention turned to Eve, who was visibly shaken by the memories. "I cannot speak of such," Eve whispered, "I must focus. It will not happen again. I will not fall to the blackness, the darkness that separated us all." She mumbled the words continuously, as if she hoped it would wipe away whatever horrid memories haunted her. She had turned away, her back to Copycat as she hugged herself, bracing herself against the thoughts he conjured.

Ian growled as Copycat again. "_The more I see of you, the worse you get," _he mentally snarled at the devious clown with the mirror. "Fine then, if that's how it's going to be, then I have no choice but to finish this. Eve," he proclaimed, "I guess there's not much I can do you for. I'll make this quick and hope I figure out something."

Eve stopped shaking as she heard his words, but continued to look away. "He said something to that extent, too. He promised to find a way to save us both. He lied," Eve turned to look Ian square in the eye. "Victor Byron has already defeated me in one of the Labyrinth Duels. I learned my lesson back then to not back down. Come at me, Ian Diots, so that we may have no regrets when the victor escapes."

"Well," Ian choked, "at least you're not shaking anymore. My turn," he declared as he drew his next card, noting that it was Forgotten Toy-Puppet. "_I have Toy Exchange face-down, so I could summon him and toss him for Ann if I have to." _Looking at the rest of his hand, he noted Forgotten Toy-Reaper was also in there with a couple of other cards. "Alright, I'll start with activating the effect of my Forgotten Toy-Reaper from my hand. I can discard any of my Forgotten Toys to the Graveyard. During the next turn, they'll return and bring back a friend with them. Next, I'll summon Forgotten Toy-Puppet."

As Ian sent his Toy Reaper to the Graveyard and summoned his next monster, a larger version of Forgotten Toy-Puppet's card materialized horizontally on the field with a flash of light before several white strings burst forth from the card's flat surface. Soon enough, the Puppet held within had pulled itself up from the depths of its own card and stood there as if its strings were still attached to an unseen puppeteer's hand. However, that lasted for only a moment. The strings gave a stiff jerk on the Puppet's body before going slack once more, forcing the toy to collapse on the ground in a jumbled heap with its wooden limbs twisted all about its body. But even then, with that wide grin still painted onto its misshapen wooden head, it almost seemed to be leering hungrily at Eve with a hidden intelligence behind its googly eyes.

**Forgotten Toy – Reaper**

**DARK**

**Zombie/Spirit**

**ATK/DEF: 1000/1000**

**This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card returns to the owner's hand during the End Phase of the turn that this card was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up. This card can attack your opponent directly. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.**

**Forgotten Toy-Puppet**

**DARK**

**Spellcaster/Effect**

**Once per turn, you can discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 Monster on the field. This monster cannot declare an attack on a turn this effect is used. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.**

**1000/1500**

"This pal of mine may be smaller than any of your monsters, but what he lacks in power he more than makes up for with appetite. If I discard one card from my hand first, my Puppet can devour whatever monster you have. I choose your Amazoness Swords Woman to be the main course this time." So with that, Ian pulled one more card from his hand slid it into the Graveyard Zone of his Duel Disk. But while the card he chose seemed to perish, his Puppet appeared to be granted a strange and eerie form of new life. Each of the twisted marionette's slender wooden limbs rattled as it pulled itself back to its feet, it's head tilted to the side as it stared forward at the other duelist's Swords Woman. "It's dinnertime." Ian finished.

All of a sudden, the puppet let loose a wild cackle as it lifted its arms and held them out as if reaching for the warrior woman standing directly across from it, and each and every one of the puppet's strings suddenly shot forward and snagged its newest victim by her arms, legs, and waist.. The Swords Woman appeared to struggle, but no amount of that seemed to be enough to free her from the strings pulling her forward. With another demented cackle, the Puppet yanked its arms back and pulled Eve's Amazoness Swords Woman right off her feet and into the puppet's waiting and impossibly wide wooden jaws. The warrior woman was swallowed whole in a single gulp and the puppet merely let out a small belch before settling down into its own square, another child-like yet sinister chuckle coming through its clacking jaws.

"Very good, Ian Diots," Eve commented, "but you leave yourself open. No hand as well as a monster with only 1000 Attack Power means I will be unfortunately hurting you a lot this turn."

Yeah," Ian grumbled, "looks like it."

"Fear not," Eve continued as she drew her next card," I will end this quickly. I will start by activating another Double Summon, followed by summoning a pair of Amazoness Blowpiper to my field."

**Amazoness Blowpiper**

**EARTH**

**Warrior/Effect**

**Select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls during each of your Standby Phases. It loses 500 ATK until the end of this turn.**

**800/1500**

Yet another scantily-clad tribal woman appeared on Eve's field, this time clutching a long blowgun to her breast as she settle back into a squat position, followed by her twin who settled in next to her. "Her effect is yet to come, but for now she will boost my Amazoness Paladin to 2100 Attack Power and my Amazoness Tiger to 2700 Attack Power, which is enough to defeat your Forgotten Toy-Jack. Destroy that box, my beast!"

With another terrible roar, the Tiger launched into action and pounced at Jack and the box he was sitting in. Jack could only respond by retreating back into his box again, but that was to no avail as the Tiger's claws slashed across it and gouged a set four deep furrows into its worn wooden surface. The box simply blew apart with a hollow yelp coming from Jack still trapped inside, and the Tiger simply leapt back and resumed its stance beside the Amazoness Paladin.

"And next Amazoness Paladin will attack your Forgotten Toy-Puppet before he can devour any more of my monsters." Amazoness Paladin readied her blade and charged Puppet, who in turn merely glared back with his menacing smile still painted upon his face.

"Sorry", Ian shouted, "but I can't let you do that. I activate my Trap Card, Toy Exchange. This swaps a Forgotten Toy on the field that's about to be attacked with one that's in my Graveyard, and makes that one the new target."

******Toy Exchange  
Normal Trap  
Activate when a "Forgotten Toy" monster on your side of the field is the target of an attack. Send the attacked monster to the Graveyard and Special Summon 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard other than the attacked card. Switch the attack to the summoned monster.**

"So I'll be sending Puppet to the Graveyard, and summoning back out Jack in Defense Position. And this time," Ian chuckled despite the situation, "you'll be taking the damage for sure."

Ian's Trap card materialized behind Puppet, who hefted himself backwards an into it before it summoned Jack from the Graveyard once more, crouched inside of his box and ready for the blow. Amazoness Paladin could only glare in anger and confusion as her sword ricocheted off the wooden box protecting Jack, although Eve looked less than enthused about losing 400 Life Points.

Eve | Ian

3600 | 3000

"That stung a little," Eve noted, "but you shall have to work harder if you wish to succeed, Ian Diots. Come at me with all your strength, please."

Ian could only grumble at her apparent sense of masochism. "_She really wants me to go all out, but why? I can't stand this crap," _he questioned himself with another sigh muttered beneath his breath. "Yeah yeah," Ian replied, "I draw, then my Toy Reaper will return to my hand from the Graveyard and bring my Puppet back with him" At his words, the ghostly image of a wind-up Reaper clutching the haunted Puppet by its gangly wooden arm rose up from the floor on Ian's side of the floor. They almost seemed to regard Eve ominously before the two of them transformed into tiny wisps of blue flame that disappeared into Ian's hand. "_Now I can do something about that hand of hers, and try to slow down this stampede of Amazons"._

"I'll start by discarding Reaper again to activate his effect, but this time I'll add on a little extra by using it to trigger my Forced Requisition trap card. Now whenever I discard a card, you'll have to discard a card as well. So after I set another card onto my field, I'll discard Puppet to make you discard as well."

"As you wish Ian Diots," Eve agreed as she slid one card from her hand into her Graveyard, "but such tactics will not win you this game."

"We'll see," Ian grimaced, "I end my turn." The image of his set card materialized into play on his field, but it did little to bring him much comfort in this situation. "_She's right too. If I don't make a miracle happen, I'm gonna lose and end up trading places with her."_


	27. Chapter 27

**-  
Chapter 27  
-**

The duel seemed just about even until now. Eve and her Amazons had taken a commanding presence to the field early on, but it seemed that Ian and his Forgotten Toys were proving to be a bit more tricky than what Eve had counted on. Neither side seemed to be giving nor taking any new ground against each other. And it seemed like it would continue that way up until Ian had activated his newest Trap card and started attacking the cards in his opponent's hand with it. The advantage, both in terms of field presence and hand advantage, was now his. But he couldn't help noticing that Eve hardly batted an eyelash when she discarded a single card with Forced Requisition's activation. In fact, she only seemed to be [i]encouraging[/i] even more from Ian with her words from before. What was going on inside of her head? Why was she pushing Ian so hard to come at her with everything? Maybe it was out of some sense of honor, or maybe it was something else entirely, but none of it was making any sense to Ian right now. And he could only watch Eve with confusion etched across his face when she began her next turn.

"Alright then," Eve the Mystical Elf declared readily. She drew her next card, glanced at it, and then placed it into her hand before turning her attention back to the field spread out before her. "I begin my turn and I will waste no time in declaring battle against you, Ian Diots. My Amazoness Tiger will attack your Jack-in-the-Box and clear the way for my other warriors."

"You'd think so, but I'm not going to let that happen.," countered Ian by revealing his face-down Trap card. An image of a manticore rebelling against an even larger beast with horns was displayed on the card, followed by a rumbling that almost to be a growl coming from the depths within it. "This Threatening Roar will prevent your Battle Phase from ever happening. And it'll also swing the game for me in my favor." The growling within the card grew louder and louder, the image displayed across it beginning to ripple as if it were water, and then a tremendous roar as if taken straight from the throat of an enormous beast burst out from the card and pushed the Amazoness Tiger and the rest of Eve's Amazons back to her own side of the field. The Tiger let out a furious roar of its own at Ian and Forgotten Toy-Jack, but it didn't try again for a second attack.

Once again, Eve hardly seemed phase by Ian's tactics. "You save yourself for the turn and think this game is now yours, Ian Diots? I admire such courage, but I also think it is misplaced." she retorted dryly at Ian. She looked like she was about to say more, but then she merely paused as a mysterious look crossed her face momentarily. It was gone before Ian could comment on it, and then she simply shook her head wistfully before placing another card onto her Duel Disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Ian could only watch Eve warily before he placed his hand on top of his deck once more. "Well," Ian replied with a sigh before drawing his next card, "here goes something. I re-summon Forgotten Toy - Puppet and follow it by playing the Spell card, Double Summon. I'll use its effect to also summon Forgotten Toy - Teddy."  
**-  
****Forgotten Toy - Teddy**

EARTH  
Beast/Effect  
Increase this card's ATK by 500 for every other monster with "Forgotten Toy" in its name. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1500/1000  
**-  
****Forgotten Toy - Puppet  
DARK**

Spellcaster/Effect  
Once per turn, you can discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 Monster on the field. This monster cannot declare an attack on a turn this effect is used. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 **"Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1000/1500  
****-**

Both toys rose from their cards to greet their pal Jack, Puppet lifting itself to the right and Teddy lumbering up on the left. The Puppet was still wearing the same leering grin it had from before, but Teddy had yet to make an appearance in this duel. Imagine a cute little brown teddy bear, except that having it be covered in threadbare stitches that barely kept its arms and legs attached to its body. Imagine it only having one button for an eye, and an overstuffed belly that was a little more grotesque than it was cute. The little bear could only blink at Eve and her monsters somewhat bewilderedly before lifting up a single paw to idly scratch its button nose.

But Ian wasn't done quite just yet. And it was really beginning to make him feel bad about what he was going to have to do next. "I know I'm going to regret this later on," the boy continued somewhat darkly, his head dipping low while one of his hands clenched into a tight fist at his side, "but it seems I can't help but exploit their sadness again."

"What do you mean, Ian Diots?"

Ian grumbled to himself as he surveyed his cards. "The guys," he commented as he motioned to the Toys, "are more than just cards to me. Their spirits have long since achieved independence from _that_ state, and have always expressed to me their feelings and intentions. For the most part, I tried to listen and help them out, but there are things I've done that only add to their pain. And now I'm going to have to do it again." With a wave of his hand, the Toys shattered, spinning about the field as if buffeted by an unfelt gale.

"What is the meaning of this? You seem to have a trick I was unaware of."

"Something like that," Ian smirked sadly. "You see, I've got this guy, a real killer. He's the conglomeration of all the pain, hate, and betrayal felt by the Forgotten Toys. Discarded into the heap of trash where they were thought to belong, they quickly learned that by joining together they could overcome stronger powers. But that new form was forged in hate, and its darkness kinda scares me. I won't lie." he continued slowly. The remains of his toys continued to spin faster and faster before, a small whirlwind rising up as the maelstrom of parts began to grow more and more violent. "I won't apologize for what's going to happen. That wouldn't do any good, anyway." he replied before he lifted his eyes up to the vortex spinning before him. His eyes held a mixture of sadness and grim resolve. "Come forth... Forgotten Toy Chimera."

Following his words, the parts suddenly collapsed into the center of the field, colliding and forming up into a growing mass. Growths of darkness, a black ooze that seeped out and consumed the parts, sprang forth and added to the mass to speed up its growth. Soon, it was a tower of radiating hatred that loomed over the field. Then the pieces started to reform out of the darkness, retrofitted to their new purpose. A large box formed the torso, with Jack's own head beset by the appearance of the Puppet's on top. Jack's spring coiled out of the side, ending in the massive and now mutated paw that could only have belonged to Teddy. It now sported four huge claws as long and as sharp as words, covered in patchwork brown fur that barely hid pulsating veins and twitching "muscle" beneath it. The other arm soon emerged from the opposite side of the box-like torso, but this one was obviously belonged to Puppet. It was long and thin, segmented with wooden joints, but it also had a mass of living puppet strings writhing and wrapped all around it. They almost looked like exposed muscle when looked at in a certain way. Completing the horror was a pair of oversized bestial legs that had also probably belonged to Teddy, although now they were just as large and malformed as the paw was.  
**-  
****Forgotten Toy Chimera**

DARK  
Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect  
2 or more "Forgotten Toy" monsters  
This monster cannot be Special Summoned except by removing from play the above fusion-material monsters (Polymerization is not needed). This monster's original ATK and DEF are equal to the combined original ATK and DEF of the fusion-material monsters and this can gains the effect of 1 of the fusion-material monsters. Once per turn, you can discard 1 "Forgotten Toy" from your Deck to your **Graveyard. This card gains the effect of the discarded monster in addition to its own.**

******-  
**"That is..." Eve gasped, stepping back in visible horror. She couldn't finish her sentence and only stared. The toy horror released a bellowing screech from its two heads, shaking the ground and even making the air around it tremble before its rage.

"_Dammit," _Copycat growled as he bit his thumb behind the mirror in front of his face. "_I was sure he wouldn't get the chance to summon that thing. After seeing him play it against dear Victor, I knew it would be a problem." _Turning his eyes to Eve, he noted her fear and continued growling inwardly. _"This will surely break her determination." _Glancing back to the abomination, Copycat stopped for a moment as a surprising new thought crossed his mind, then could only continue by working to hold in the laugh that welled up inside him. _"So, this is what they wanted when the made me set this up." _Copycat could only continue his revelry as Ian continued his turn.

"I'm sorry. I really am," Ian explained, "I really like you, Eve. I'm sure you're only a victim here, and I bet that if we'd met outside this damn labyrinth that we'd have gotten along great. You're a lot better company than Victor, that's for sure." Ian sighed as he looked up at his lumbering monster. "But I have to keep going. Forgotten Toy Chimera sets its Attack and Defense power equal to the combined values of the monsters used to form it. Forgotten Toy-Puppet, Teddy, and Jack... That's 3000 total. It also gains the same effect of Teddy, so it'll gain another 500 Attack Points for every other Forgotten Toy I control. And now I send it against your Amazoness Tiger."

The Puppet head grinned ever so widely as the Jack head closed its eyes, both acknowledging the attack in its own way. The results were the same as it leaned back and threw its right arm, the spring-loaded one with Teddy's hideous paw, high into the air before bringing it slamming down upon Amazoness Tiger. The shockwave made all the other Amazons and Eve herself brace themselves, even though the actual damage to her Life Points was minimal.

Eve | Ian  
3300 | 3000

"Hmph," Copycat exclaimed loudly, "and with all that pomp and circumstance, you still only manage a measly 300 damage. You should really try harder there, Ian." Crossing his arms, Copycat settled back into his seat with a stance that should've had a grin on his face to match it. "I will inform you right now of what Eve's set card is. It is none other than Amazoness Willpower, a Trap which allows her the revival of an "Amazoness" monster that might reside in her Graveyard, including that Tiger you just smashed. Ian's eyes flashed to Eve's facedown card before returning to Copycat as he finished his explanation. "And after she activates that, she going to finish filling her field and have just enough ATK on that dear little Tiger to smash you Chimera back into little toy bits."

Ian shrank back from Copycats words slightly before turning his gaze upon Eve again. At the moment, she was still staring at the Chimera. However, upon feeling eyes on her, she slowly lowered her gaze and turned to look at Ian. "Well," he chuckled darkly as his arms fell to his sides, "guess that'll do me then. I end my turn."

Eve looked long and hard at Ian, even as her hands drew the next card out of her deck. The motion was obviously from habit rather than conscious thought, for she again had that distant look in her eyes. Stranger still was the fact that she said and did nothing for several minutes, and only continued to watch Ian.

Then finally she spoke. "I end my turn," she declared.

"WHAT?" Copycat exclaimed, literally jumping out of his seat. "What trickery is this, you gutless woman!"

Ian was also dumbfound at Eve's declaration. "What are you doing, Eve? You had me, don't you?"

"Yes, Ian Diots," Eve replied, her Duel Disk falling to her side while her other arm held out her hand to Ian to display the cards in it. In it was a number of visible Amazoness monsters. "Copycat speaks the truth when he tells you that my facedown card is Amazoness Willpower, but that is a most appropriate name to describe what I have found myself missing now." Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued talking. "I have not the will to end this match and condemn you to this prison. Not anymore."

"NO!" Copycat declared. "If you would even for a moment think that I would let you fall due to fear, then you truly do not understand fear. Destroy him unless you wish a lesson in true terror."

"Heh," Eve chuckled lightly, "it is not fear, oh fearsome mimic. I see now the reason why Ian was chosen for this task." Her eyes deadset on Ian, she continued while lifting a hand and placing it over her chest. "My heart wavered when I was baited into darkness, but he stands there before me and he _commands_ it." Her head lolled off to the side as she stared at Copycat. "To defeat your darkness, he'll have to bear it, which is something I cannot."

"Dammit, Eve," Ian shouted. "You can't seriously be thinking that 'bout me! I don't even understand half of what you're saying! 'Chosen'? 'Darkness'? What the hell! I'm just doing what I have to, what we need to get done."

"And for that dedication to justice, you will be given victory. End this match so that you may continue your march against the Monarchs."

"_Why?" _Ian thought as his gaze shifted from Eve to the Toy Chimera and back again. _"I 'command darkness'? What is she talking about? I'm only using the power or whatever that I can muster. This supernatural stuff just keeps piling on._ Settling back, Ian's hand went to his forehead as if he could feel his head exploding from such thoughts. _How does she expect me have the conviction to going when she declares she's going to sacrifice herself like that?_

"Just do it, Ian," Ann interjected, her image appearing over Ian's shoulder.

"What the...Ann? Really?" Ian's astonishment over having Ann appear suddenly seemed awash in the pandemonium that had arisen from the whole of the experience.

"Don't worry, she'll be okay." Ann smiled reassuringly.

Ian sighed long and hard before turning back to Eve. "You think I have conviction, eh? Well, I don't know what to call it, but I guess I have been saying I have to keep going. I draw, then equip Forgotten Toy Chimera with Rubber Mallet, which raises its Attack Power by 300. I also use its additional effect to send Forgotten Toy-Reaper to the Graveyard and gain ability."  
**-  
****Rubber Mallet  
Equip Spell  
****This card can only be equipped to a "Forgotten Toy" monster. Increase its ATK and DEF by 300. If the equipped monster would be destroyed by an effect, you can destroy this card instead.**

**Forgotten Toy-Reaper**

DARK  
Zombie/Spirit  
**This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card returns to the owner's hand during the End Phase of the turn that this card was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up. This card can attack your opponent directly. Also, during your Main Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, add this card and 1 "Forgotten Toy" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.  
1000/1000  
-**

The Chimera's arm that had once belonged to Puppet suddenly melted back into a mass of solid darkness, but it soon reformed into the sleeve of a tattered black robe that ended with a curved blade belonging to the Toy Reaper's tiny scythe. It glinted almost maliciously at Eve and was spattered with tiny red flecks of either rust or something else along the bottom of its sharpened edge.

"And now, using Reaper's ability, it will declare its attack against you directly. By the way, I'm hating all of this."

Eve's response was to actually chuckle lightly as she threw open her arms. "I know, Ian. But all will end well." Her words were nearly drowned out as Chimera let out a bellow from both of its mouths. A poisonous aura suddenly enveloped the blade of its Reaper arm, crackling with dark energy, and then it swung its arm out and released a crescent-shaped wave of scything energy directly at Eve. It stopped short of slicing her in twain though, and instead slammed into the ground at her feet to carve out a massive crack. The crack grew as bricks started moving themselves again, now forming a solid archway behind Ian. Eve could only fall to her feet as the tiles shook, soon finding herself marooned on the last few pieces. "Farewell, Ian," she murmured as the disappeared, leaving her to fall into the darkness.

Ian found himself wanting to say something at that moment, but instead found his words caught in his throat when he saw somebody jump out of the shadows. "Milly?" he exclaimed in surprise.

Dashing forward an incredible speed, the blonde-haired girl spared no thought at jumping into the hole headfirst. "I'll be damned if you'll let Copycat win this!" she hollered as she grabbed her sucker in both hands. Spinning in midair, she slammed it into Eve's underside with enough force to actually throw Eve out of the hole. And then, just like that, Milly disappeared down the hole, a smile visible on her face.

In all the confusion, Ian hadn't even noticed Victor and the others had also shown up, and he now stood at the edge of the hole and stared into its abyss. His expression was very uncharacteristically shaken. "How could she?" he murmured, a puzzled expression breaking up his face. Then it turned to rage. "Copycat!" Turning to the seat Copycat had made for himself, Victor could only let out another bellow as he realized it had already been vacated. Anger seething from him stronger than any aura that Chimera could produce, Victor marched past an astonished Ian and headed for the door. "Let's go. I'm going to go kill a clown."

Ian could only stare at Victor as he marched off, unsure of this sudden display of anger. He would've remarked about the suddenly emotions if he didn't think it'd be lethal, and instead only noted that Ritsuko and Aaron were already back to normal, and were helping Eve back to her feet. "She," Eve muttered as she looked down at the hollowed passage to darkness. "She...sacrificed herself for me."

"Not now," Aaron muttered, his jaw set in determination. Ritsuko wasn't saying anything at all, and was only biting her lip as tears welled up in her eyes. Instead, she only helped Aaron as they led Eve to the exit.

"_How in the world did this happen?" _Ian thought to himself as he stood at the edge of the hole. Looking down, he still couldn't believed what he'd just seen. The Chimera was already fading away along with the rest of the duel and soon Ian could feel the spirits used to make the horror return back into his deck where they belonged. It was a reassuring feeling to know that they were back to normal, but that was hardly of any comfort when what Milly had done finally hit him. "_Why was she even still in that form? Why did she jump out?" _Nothing about it could make sense to Ian's mind, as if huge blocks of this puzzle had fallen out of the box.

"Ian!" he heard Aaron shout out, "this doorway isn't going to stay here forever! We have to get moving."

"_How did she know what was going on? She ran off like that...and to this? I'm so frickin' confused..." _Aaron muttered more under his breath as he led out Eve, Ian numbly following behind.


	28. Chapter 28

**-  
Chapter 28  
-**

It was a surprisingly short trek from the depths of the labyrinth all the way up to the surface. It seemed like the group had been miles and miles underground, but they had already reached the exit to the sunlit world above in only a few short minutes. Ian found that almost as surprising as everything else that had happened, but it was a very welcome surprise as opposed to the other weird things he had already seen. Copycat, the three Guardians, and even Eve and her former alter ego of the Mystical Elf. But there was one other thing that was tugging at the boy's thought even more the others.

Milly.

She had disappeared down the hole that had tried to swallow Eve after she had lost the duel against Ian, but why she would do such a thing so suddenly was something that he could not fathom. He already knew that she was a good person at heart, despite the smarmy demeanor she surrounded herself with, but to rush in and save Eve without a second thought at all... That was just something that still shocked and bewildered him even now. And it made him begin to wonder if he would have that kind of courage if he ever found himself in a similar situation. Part of him doubted that, but the other part had already decided that it was meaningless to debate about something that had already happened. And as he looked up at Aaron, Ritsuko, Eve, and even Victor's backs as they passed through the magic archway that lead to the ground above, he realized that the others were probably thinking the same thing he was. Despite how shaken up they still were about the whole thing.

Meanwhile, as Ian was busy sorting his thoughts, Victor was the first to set foot on green grass and leave the labyrinth. He had a killing intent on his face as he surveyed the forest sprawling around them all, the likes of which neither Ian nor anyone else had ever seen before in him. The rest of his expression was mask of calm resolve, a cold sheet that blocked his rising anger from showing. Considering everything else that this man had already put the rest of them through before now, Ian found it amazing that Victor could look any _more_ scary than he already had been. He refused to admit it openly, but Ian suddenly found himself a little relieved that Victor's wrath hadn't been aimed at him or the others. "Survey the area and looks for signs of a trail Copycat left behind." commanded Victor as he began walking away from the archway of stones. "If I know Copycat, then he's not through playing his little game with us yet. And when I find him, I'm going to shatter his _body_ like I will that mirror of his."

"Easy now," Aaron called out before he also stepped out of the archway, "We might not want to kill him. If she's not dead..." He paused as Victor turned to face him with his arms crossed. "I mean, she only fell down that hole. Didn't Eve here fall have the same thing happen to her?"

"No," Eve interjected, still standing in the shade between the labyrinth and the outside. She'd pulled herself out of Aaron and Ritsuko's grasps, and now stood as if she was afraid to step out into the sun. "When I was forced into the servitude of Copycat, it was also because of a duel. But," she correct, "the conditions were different. I quickly found myself on a shelf he had created beneath the hole. There was none for..." She turned and wrapped her arm around herself, hesitant to continue talking.

"So yes," Victor explain coldly to Aaron, his eyes blazing behind his glasses, "He did have the power to save her. But I doubt that he would. Instead, he let her fall in the cold darkness to die alone. And trust me," he suddenly grinned coldly at Aaron, "I know something about darkness. So, as I was saying before, I have a clown that needs killing." he finished curtly. Without waiting for a response, Victor turned on his heels and continued surveying the land ahead of the others.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate this place?" Ian grumbled. Turning back to Eve, he paused hesitantly before addressing her. Sighing to himself in frustration, Ian decided it was best to just blurt it out. "You coming out of there anytime soon?"

"I...have not been in the sun for so long," Eve commented quietly. Her eyes glazed over as she stared out into the falling rays of light cast through the clouds. Unconsciously leaning back to till her head up, she could not help but smile a little. "It has seemed like an eternity." Then quite abruptly, she shed off her glamour like a second skin as she stepped out into the light, revealing her true self. The pale blue skin she wore as Mystical Elf peeled away to reveal a skin tone that was actually very dark and tanned, with her hair also darkening until it was a nearly black tone. The elegant green dress she wore as a Duel Monster also changed, turning tan and shortening to a much more travel-appropriate length to reveal sandals rather than slippers on her feet. Her black hair was tied back into a thick and wavy ponytail, and the rest of her body somehow seemed a little more built and rugged than before, but no less feminine and beautiful than when she had been the Mystical Elf. Obviously, someone who was accustomed to being in the great outdoors for long periods of time.

"_She looks kinda like those Amazoness cards she uses", _Ian realized quietly.

Turning around to look herself over, Eve stopped to stare at Ian. Seeming as if she could read his thoughts, Eve smiled and explained, "Copycat was close to wrapping me in the appearance of my own cards, much as he did to all of you. He thought it too light of a treatment however, since my appearance would have hardly changed. So thus he instead gave me the form of Mystical Elf instead."

"What a prick," Aaron commented snidely. "Specifically picking tricks just to be more of of a jerk. I swear, I'm about ready to join Victor in hunting that guy down."

"I am in doubt of his capture," Eve sighed. "That one is quite elusive, and his abilities lend well to such an already innate talent for him."

"So what do we do now?" Aaron posted.

Ian sighed, not liking what he was about to say. "I know you guys aren't going to like this, but we have to keep moving. If we let this stop us, or get distracted in hunting down Copycat, then he already wins."

"Easy enough for you to say," he heard Ritsuko murmur quietly behind him. She'd been keeping herself spaced away from the rest of the group, hiding off to the side in the shadows of the labyrinth until they had at last emerged on the surface. Even now, he could see the stones holding the archway in place were beginning to crack, the pressure created by it wanting to close quickly nearing the boiling point.

"No its not," Ian argued, "I want to get back at Copycat just as much as all of you. I might've not known her as long as you did, but she does kinda grow on people really quick." Ian paused to let his thoughts collect. "But that being said, she wouldn't want us to stand around and argue with each other. She'd want us to keep going."

"That's all good and well for you," Victor interjected, "but I had plans, none of which involved Milly's death. And I am sure that the little rat is squirming around here somewhere, so let's-GUH!"

But Victor's words were suddenly cut short. For just as he was about to gather the group and prepare to push onward, he suddenly collapsed to the ground in a heap as if something had just clocked him over the head. And that [i]something[/i] just happened to be a heavy wooden club that was wielded by a large and rather oafish creature with green skin that was peeking out from behind a boulder nearby. It smiled a crooked and yellow-toothed smile at the fallen Victor, its beady eyes shining with malicious satisfaction as a chorus of chuckles rose up from behind the trees and shrubs surrounding the group. "Yar ha ha," The green monster laughed. "I told ya we'd have our revenge. Dropped your little friend like a sack of potatoes." he chuckled to himself as his partners started creeping out into view from behind their hiding places. A motley bunch in worn chainmail, it was obvious why it'd been difficult to spot them before the ambush. Their green skin would've blended in with the surrounding foilage easily, and they seemed careful to avoid catching anything with their weapons and making any noise. It was a somewhat surprising tactic for the Goblin Attack Force to use, but it seemed now that none of them were as dumb as they looked. Dumb, but not _as_ dumb, as pointed out by the giggles and chuckles that still rose up from their throats.

Goblin B, the one with the club, was joined once again by Goblin A and C, and laughed heartily as he placed a foot on Victor's unconscious body. "Not so big and tough now, mister spinny guy?" the creature bellowed as it bent over to gloat at Victor. Straightening back up, it eyeballed the whole of the group. "And that little blonde wench that helped him is gone too? Must be our lucky day, eh guys?" he laughed while the others joined in with bouts of vicious laughter of their own.

"So what do ya think we should do wit' 'em?" Goblin C chuckled. "I say we throw 'em around a bit. Rough 'em up, then take 'em to the Monarchs like we said we would. That'll teach em."

"Except this guy," Goblin A added, pointing down at Victor. "I think he deserves all da' pain _we_ can dish out. We should keep him around as a punching bag. I could use da' exercise, anyway." The goblin laughed at his own joke and threw a few right hooks, grunting to emphasize the point. The comment also elicited laughs from the other goblins as well, and many in the surrounding group chimed in an agreement.

"_This is bad," _Ian thought to himself as he eyeballed the gathering of goblins. He also turned around to check on the rest of the group, but he quickly grimaced when he saw Ritsuko and Eve practically cowering behind Aaron. He himself didn't look like he was enjoying this much more than they were. It was almost enough to make him roll his eyes out of exasperation. "_Can't say I blame him," _Ian thought as his gaze swept back to look at Victor's unconscious body. _"Way to go in getting yourself knocked out, pal."_

Looking up at the goblins, Ian considered his options and grumbled inwardly as he squared himself to them. "Look, I think we made the wrong impression earlier," Ian started, then realized he was trying diplomacy with a brute. The look on the goblin's face reaffirmed this thought. Shrugging slightly, Ian threw an arm up into the air in a dismissive gesture. "You know what? Screw it. Not even going to try that. You guys probably don't even have the brains to listen."

"What was that?" Goblin B growled as he hefted his club over his shoulder. He was already advancing upon Ian like he meant to take his head off with one swing of his club, followed by several other goblins brandishing their weapons and glaring at Ian. "Yer sayin' some pretty big words there, runt."

"_Okay, that probably wasn't the best idea."_ Ian thought as he took a step back, his face firm but his thoughts already regretting the rashness he had spoken with. Why did he have to go and act all cocky when he didn't know the first thing about fighting? _"Can't go getting all scare, can I?" _he thought, chuckling darkly at how bad things looked. "_Even if it does look like I'm about to get beaten to death."_

Reaching for his deck strapped to his belt, as if the contact against the palm of his hand would assure him of this course of action, Ian could feel his finger slip back to the _other _deck box that he kept strapped to his belt beside the Forgotten Toys. And then, all at once, voices he didn't even realize were bare whispers in the back of his head now came roaring to the front of his mind.

"_Destroy them!"_

"_You must!"_

"_Do what must be done!"_

"_They cannot be allowed to get in our way."_

"_Destroy them all,"_ the voices continued, their varied calls erupting in Ian's brain like a cruel orchestra. The sudden onslaught of thoughts caught Ian by surprise and he quickly fell to his knees, his hands clutching the sides of his head as if it were about to burst apart from the pain at any moment. He could already feel his thoughts becoming fragmented and blurry, gradually becoming swallowed up by the myriad of dark voices shouting incessantly over and over again. "GAAAH!" the boy shouted loudly. "WHAT IS THIS! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!"

Meanwhile, the goblins could only stop and stare at Ian with a dumb look on their faces. None of them quite knew what to make of the agony that had suddenly taken its hold on their new plaything, but none of them seemed to care about that after a few moments. All they saw now was easy prey too distracted to so much as lift a finger against them, and they were going to have a [i]lot[/i] of fun with that. The goblins began chuckling and chortling amongst themselves as they closed in, but then almost unanimously stopped, the gazes all shifting to look over Ian's shoulder. Their shift of focus and the sudden rumbling was enough to entice Ian to chance a glance backwards, and his jaw dropped at what he was seeing. The voices also seemed impressed by this, and receded as Ian took in the scene.

The whole of the labyrinth was collapsing. The wall now long since resealed was covered in stress fractures, and chips were beginning to fall outwards as the walls started collapsing on themselves. Ritsuko, Eve, and Aaron had already given the collapsing walls plenty of space, and now joined Ian in watching the building crumble to pieces. It was as if it were turning to dust, as if the ages were spinning past in fast forward and the labyrinth could not hold. Crumbling holes in the sides provided portholes to view the collapsing innards of the structure as well, so it was not merely the outer edges that fell. Indeed, it became apparent the the entire structure wasn't only falling apart, but sinking as well. Bricks and mortar that should've been piling up on the edges merely sank inward, like the building rested on a pit that it was falling back into. And then something happened that made the whole ordeal even stranger.

A figure stepped out of the collapsing walls. A female figure draped in a white cloak, she seemed to not even care about the falling bricks as she stepped forwards. Stones gave way beneath her steps moments after she lifted her feet, and still she did not hurry. She stopped only after she cleared the edge of the structure, which conveniently coincided with what seemed to be the end of the collapse. What was once a mighty maze was now just a pile of fallen bricks and stones that stretched out to the horizon.

Chuckling to herself, she slipped back a step and raised her arm out of the cloak to reveal what appeared to be a wing. But on second glance, Ian realized it to actually be...a duel disk? _Great, but who's side is she on?_

Her other arm now emerged from the folds of her cloak, reaching out to pull a card off the top of her deck. Even though the hood hung low and covered much of her face, her lips creasing into a smirk was still visible as she looked at her card. "Oh, what would you folks do without me?" a familiar voice rang out as she placed the card into a Monster Zone on her duel disk.

Before anyone could answer, winds whipped out from where she stood to force several people to step back. Ian could only look beneath his arm shielding his face and gasp. Directly in front of her, the card she had placed now materialized with glowing rays of light spraying out of the top. Emerging from the card appeared to be a majestic soldier garbed in red armor trimmed in gold. He was swaths of ornate fabric in similar tones hung between the plates of his armor, adding to the overall grandeur of his outfit. Grinning to himself, the soldier raised a sword the seemed to have a blade made of some translucent red crystal and leaped up and out of the card to spread his large angelic wings. Then with a twist, he slashed his sword through the air to create an even stronger buffeting wind.

The wind splashed down over and past the heads of Ian and company, and directly into the gathered mob of goblins. Such an impact was more than enough to knock them off their feet. And no sooner were they back up and on said feet that they quickened to run away, some so scared that they left their weapons laying on the ground.

Seeing that the goblins were properly dealt with, the figure turned back to the group and settled back in a defiant pose. Resting a hand on her hip, she pushed aside some of the blonde curls of her hair that escaped in the windstorm. "So," she chuckled, "What'd I miss?"


	29. Chapter 29

**-  
Chapter 29  
-**

As one group of duelists found themselves breaking out, yet another found themselves breaking in. Alan peered carefully from left to right as he slid the secret panel open, thus letting the team come out of the secret passage they'd found into Thestalos's fortress.

"All clear dudes and dudettes," he whispered back, "roll em out." Slipping out of the concealed passage, he paused to look up and down the hallway again for anybody. They'd somehow trekked a vast amount of space without encountering any issues, but now that they were in the metaphorical lion's den it certainly wasn't an opportunity to slack.

"We're lucky we found the little passages," Amy commented quietly as she slipped out of the passage behind Alan.

"Let's hope such luck continues," Joe cautioned as he followed, "as we may be able to make it all the way to throne room without a disturbance. And from there...find Thestalos himself."

Mitch and Lee piled out afterwards, with Lee pausing to look up and down the halls as he scratched the back of his head casually. "Eh, I wouldn't mind..._something..._happening. It's been pretty boring, folks."

"Watch watch you ask for," Joe warned, "I'd rather not call upon disaster."

"You can say that again," Mitch chuckled. "But on second thought, let's all quite down now that we're in the open. Alan, lead the way. We're counting on you."

Alan chuckled bemusedly, but motioned everyone to follow as he crept forward. Mitch followed suit, turning back to everyone with a finger to his lips, the standard motion to signify their silence. Together, the slipped from shadow to shadow, following the narrow halls as the twisted and turned deeper into the fortress.

Many of the walls seemed covered in pipes, some of which seeped with steam or dripped with various liquids at times. Whatever the case, several provided ideal hiding spots behind or even underneath some of the higher ones. But even for how ideal the scenery was for their entrance, Mitch couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. _"This is too easy,"_ he thought to himself.

He was expecting guards patrolling these halls. If not human duelists, than perhaps some of the duel monsters that made this realm their home. But yet, the halls were deathly silent, save for the hiss of the occasional pipe. Neither footsteps nor murmurs, save their own group, echoes within the pipe lined corridors. _"Is it possible that he's so full of himself that he cares not for who enters his fortress?" _Alan had explained how arrogant the Monarchs had become. Some, such as Granmarg and Zaborg, seemed less public than their brothers in general, but the majority seemed to have no problems with flaunting the might and influence. Apparently, Mobius and Caius even had veritable armies of followers. _"And yet we have yet to even find anything indicating there's even anybody in this place._

They had entered from the back door, a maintenance access located in the base of the small plateau that ths fortress rest on. From there, they followed underground passages that connected with tunnels leading into the basement of this structure. From there, they continued hiding in the shadows as snuck through a last few service tunnels. But now, even as they crept from shadow to shadow in the actually hallways of this massive building, the still had yet to encounter...anyone.

Mitch's thoughts came to a pause as he felt a hand land on his arm. Looking down, he realized Amy's hand was on his arm. Following it up to her face, the worry he saw made him realized he'd stopped moving as he became lost in thought. "Something on your mind?" she queried.

"This all seems to easy," he explained.

"I know," she muttered as she tugged him to start moving again. The others were a couple steps ahead of them and began moving as he looked over them. "But we can't just stand here and wait for trouble, right?"

"Yeah," he chuckled quietly, "I suppose you're right. Let's go."

It was barely any time at all before they found themselves in the throne room, or at least sneaking through its impressive doors. Heavy and foreboding, they looked blackened...as if burnt. And beyond them was a room scarcely lit by the low-burning torches hung on the walls. Shadows crawled everywhere, and the features of the room could barely be made out. "I still don't approve of us sneaking like this, folks. It feels like we're here to assassinate him or something," Lee muttered apprehensively.

"That is exactly what we're here to do," Joe countered. "To think otherwise is to fool yourself."

"Uh...thanks, pal," Lee replied, slightly dumbfound.

"Way to be blunt," Mitch chocked, "you didn't have to state it like that."

"And how would-" Joe began to counter, before being cut off by the flames roaring to life around them. They poured out of the grates lining the edge of the floor, illuminating what was immediately recognized as a trap.

The flames themselves formed a wall that raced away from the entrance, extending along the wall in both directions until they had formed a ring encompassing the room, with a dividing line drawing itself across the center of the room. If they weren't enough of an inclination to avoid the door, then surely the fact that it had slammed itself shut was another. Across the far end of the room was a large metal throne, forged of a dark gleaming metal. Thestalos was seated in said throne, his head resting in one hand as the other casually rested on the throne's arm. "You...humans," he chuckled. His voice was a mixture of amusement and disdain, with a touch of condescending. All condensed into two little words.

"_And this is the part where I wish I wasn't right," _Mitch thought.

As the flames crackled, an eerie silence stretched between the duelists and the Monarch. Several, such as Mitch and Lee, could only return the Monarchs stare. Others, like Joe, studied their entrapment. But none of them said anything, and that included the Monarch who stared at them, his face unreadable under the helmet he wore. Finally, he shifted, leaning forward and steepling his hands. "I have been waiting for you," he chuckled. It was not a friendly chuckled.

As he continued chuckling, he stood to his full height, towering above the group the same as Zaborg had done when he appeared before them. "I have been waiting since you defeated that oaf Zaborg. Stoking my coals, so to speak." He chuckled again in his sinister tone, reaching out with his hand towards the team. A wave of his fingers and the flames surrounding them danced higher for but a moment. "And now...is the time when I can ignite the flames of your funeral pyres!" The last came as a triumphant shout, which again caused the flames to burst higher for a moment.

Several team members shrank back from his words while others grimaced at the promise in them. His words had them on edge enough that they jumped at the next voice that spoke, especially since it came from neither their party nor Thestalos. "You'll have to forgive my master," a feminine voice mused, "he does get a little ahead of himself when he's, well, enjoying himself."

A figure draped in crimson robes stepped out of the shadow of the throne, throwing back her red hood to reveal equally red hair. "Do not be discouraged however," she chided, smirking at the group with a strange look on her face. "We do not intend to simply end you quickly. It would simply be too much fun to burn you out one by one."

"Rose," Thestalos barked, turning back to look down on his minion, "mind your tongue. I actually was enjoying myself, so let me revel in _my_ moment." Turning back, he glared at the group. His former glee now missing, his towering figure was no less imposing. "But she speaks the truth. I will give you 'hope', if only for the joy of taking it away."

Settling back into his throne, Thestalos settle himself lazily into one hand again. "My lieutenant here shall duel your chosen combatant. When she defeats him, she will move on to the next chosen, and so on and so forth until I am unamused or you are all dead."

The fatalistic words rang heavily through the air, settling on Mitch like a blanket of lead. _"When she defeats him,"_ he thought. _"It's as if he doesn't think we have a chance. He believes she's just going to tear into us one by one! And that we're going to take it! _A feeling of hatred for Thestalos welled forth, and Mitch stepped forth to challenge the Firestorm Monarch. As he was about to raise his voice in protest, a hand came to rest heavily on his shoulder. Turning back, he was surprised to see Lee grinning back at him.

"Don't let it get to you pal," Lee chuckled lightly, "he's just trying to bait you. I'll take this one while you sit back and keep an eye on the others."

"Bait me?" Mitch chocked, "he intends to _kill_ all of us! I can't just stand around an-"

"You can," Lee interrupted, a fierce gleam in his eye, "and you will...friend."

Dumbstruck by Lee's sudden obstinance, Mitch stepped aside and let him stride forward. "You speak some pretty heavy words there," Lee called out as he stopped short of walling in the wall of fire. He could feel the heat emanating off of it, which seemed to be surprisingly less than he though it would be. "And I'm afraid their wrong as well." Holding up his duel disk, he grinned at Rose as it whirled to life. "Cause after I done with you missy, your boss is gonna be next."

"As if," she countered, revealing her own duel disk from the shrouds of her cloak. It was a simple design, similar in form and function to the academy duel disk that Lee was wearing on his own arm. Except it was black as coal. "You will burn."


	30. Chapter 30

**-  
Chapter 30  
-**

Lee could almost swear that this was reminding him of a song he knew. It was a strange thought to be having, all things considered, but especially when just about every other student at the Academy would've been quaking in their boots in his position. But that was just Lee for you. Most people thought he was either too easygoing or simply too dense to let a little thing like a Life-or-Death duel get under his skin. He just stood there quietly, his Duel Disk hanging at his side and a "Thinking Cap" expression on his face, with seemingly no thought given to Rose's or Thestalos' presence. "Sheesh, what is it? It would fit so perfectly right now, too..." the Ra Yellow student seemed to muse to himself before his face lit up an expression of Eureka. "Oh yeeeaaaah... "

"I fell into a Burning Ring of Fire..." he began to softly sing to himself. Much to the dismay of his comrades. And to Rose and possibly even Thestalos himself.

"Down, down, down... The Flames went higher.."

"Heh... Johnny Cash rocks."

"WILL YOU PAY ATTENTION TO ME, YOU...YOU...YOU NINCOMPOOP!" Rose suddenly barked at Lee from across the field. Her face had turned an uncharacteristic shade of red as she stared at Lee with big and incredulous eyes, and her hands had clenched into tight fists at her sides. "I'm about to turn you into a pile of ashes! Let's focus here, hm!" she finished with another shout thrown at Lee. It seemed now that Rose had a bit of a hot streak underneath all that calm smugness she had shown earlier. Somehow it seemed only fitting considering who her patron Monarch actually was.

"All right, already! Sheesh..." was Lee's only reply before he lfited his Duel Disk back up again. "Try to lighten the mood, and you jump down my throat. And how can you not like Johnny Cash? You _are_ evil.

"...Imbeciles. We're being invaded by imbeciles..." Rose couldn't help but mutter to herself. A hand rose up to massage the bridge of her nose like she was trying to fight off a headache. "Anyway!" she shouted once again before reclaiming her lost poise and fixing Lee with another cruel and calculating smile. "Let's begin. Although, I should warn you first...," she chuckled as she drew her starting hand, "you will feel every last flame in this duel. As I am sure you already know, anything that happens in this match...is real."

"Yeah," Lee chuckled as he scratched the back of his head, "I was afraid of that. Makes me feel bad about going all out on you. Didn't really want to hurt anybody to begin with."

And once again, Rose found her poise cracked and her eyes staring widely at Lee once again. "Don't take pity on me!" Rose snarled as she yanked out the top card of her deck. "For that insult, I'll take the first turn. I will place two cards face-down and then summon Solar Flare Dragon!"

At her words, a pair of larger versions of face-down cards materialized within her back row, right before a gout of flame erupted from the floor and ushered in a large and serpentine dragon seemingly formed from searing flame and magma. It snarled at Lee and blew smoke through both its nose and mouth, draconic eyes fixed on him as it coiled around itself in the air.

"And I should also mention other thing about this match." Rose sneered to her opponent.

"Oh, and what might that be, missy?"

Rose seemed to cringe at the childish nickname, and her calm veneer almost cracked once again, but she continued on despite her temper. "When one of us is defeated in this match, the other shall continue on, with their field and Life Points intact. So your friends will also taste my flames after you are incinerated, but will feel as if their chances of victory are higher if you manage to deal damage. So, for the sake of your friends, make this a courageous sacrifice. Perhaps enough of your combined efforts will defeat me, so that some of yours may have the honor of dying by Thestalos hand."

"...Huh."

Lee paused at her heavy words and the silence was only made worse when he heard no encouraging shouts from his friends behind them. He couldn't exactly blame him. He was pretty speechless, too. But then, he just slacked back, shook his head as if mild disbelief, and returned his attention to Rose. "Sorry, had to think about that for a moment."

"What? Is your mind so feeble as to be blown by the possibility of dealing with Thestalos. You are a weaker man than I-"

"No no no..." Lee quickly interrupted with a few shakes of his hands at Rose. "I mean...it's just that there's only the two of you?"

"...WHAT DID YOU SAY!" Rose practically roared at Lee. "Only the two of us?"

By now, Rose was practically beside herself with embarrassment and anger. For this...boy...to have such audacity in the face of her patron Monarch had been inconcievable for her up until now. "You little wretch!" she shouted at Lee again. "You...! None of you will get the change to face my Lord in a duel! I'll stifle your pathetic insults right here and now!" One could almost see the flames of her anger radiating from her body as she glared at Lee with daggers in her eyes. Even her own Solar Flare Dragon seemed to look back at her with some small amount of apprehension (and mild exasperation) within its eyes, a snuffling sound leaving its throat before turning back to Lee once more.

"Yeah yeah, missy," Lee chocked, interrupting her yet again before she could continue further, "I get it. Villainous monologue about power. But if you're done with your turn..." he trailed off while moving his hands in a 'wrap it up' motion. "I'd like to get started with mine."

"Fine, then!" the woman replied while throwing up her hands. "Have it your way. I will end my turn with that. It's all I need to defeat you, anyways." she continued before another sly smirk replaced the anger on her face. She regarded her Solar Flare Dragon for a moment, it's flames rising higher upon its snake-like length, before returning to Lee. "I end my turn, and thus activate the effect of my Solar Flare Dragon."

With that, the flames on Solar Flare Dragon's back leapt even higher and vibrant orange glow could be seen building the underside length of its body. It's jaws opened, a roar blasting through at Lee, and a blast of burning red embers was exhaled and covered almost the entire side of Lee's field. The boy could feel the searing wind of the dragon's breath assault his body, feel the embers cling to and singe his skin, and it took nearly all of his effort to grit his teeth and keep from shouting out at that point.

Lee | Rose  
3500 | 4000

Meanwhile, the others could only stand and watch from the sidelines...

"This is bad," Joe mumbled to Mitch. "I was hoping she wasn't _that_ kind of FIRE deck."

"She's a Burn-Type Duelist," Mitch commented. "Her deck features low attack power monsters, but their ability to deal Effect Damage more than makes up for it. Same goes for her Spells and Traps, and she probably has just about every card made that can stop attacks made against her." he finished with a grim note tinging his words. Lee was going to be in for the fight of his life if he couldn't get out his key combo cards and he knew it. He just hoped that Lee had realized that, too.

"Yup," Joe answered. He also motioned to the two face-downs that Rose had layed earlier. "And I'm betting both of those cards are meant to do just that."

But back on the Duel Field, Lee was only just now rubbing the soot from his eyes and brushing the last of the stray embers away from his skin and clothing. "Yeesh. That smarts," Lee chuckled, lightly despite the redness of his skin. For someone that almost got roasted alive, he seemed to be in strangely high spirits, which seemed to confuse Rose to almost no end. Lee couldn't help but chuckle again when he saw the look on her face and then placed his hand on top of his own deck. "All right, missy. You wanna play hardball? Let's play hardball. I'm gonna pay you back for that hit just now and I'm gonna make you work for every single one that comes after."

"To think that you thought you could go easy on me," she quipped flipplantly. "I should be insulted."

"I suppose," Lee responded casually as he drew his next card, "but let's see how you like this. I activate my Field Spell! A Legendary Ocean!" he shouted as he slapped the card into the zone on his Duel Disk.

He watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the card activated and began to reshape the room around himself and Rose. The flames gradually began to fade away, only to replaced by a torrent of twisting water and the ruins of an ancient underwater city surrounding them. But before the card seemed to solidify fully, and right before the flames of Thestalos' castle completely disappeared, the card on his Duel Disk suddenly flashed and the waters and ruins of the Legendary Ocean suddenly spun out of control and disappeared completely. He and Rose were back to standing in the sweltering heat of the Molten Fortress once again, much to Lee's dismay.

"Oh thank you for revealing that little trick," Rose mused as she threw another derisive smirk at her opponent. "To think that I would be facing an opposing element... Who knew?" Her laughter rose again until its mocking nature became apparent even to Lee, right before she stopped and stared at Lee with a cold and seething fury behind her eyes. "I knew Victor would recruit someone like you...or at least with your kind of deck. So I have decided I will not allow such distasteful monsters near my Lord Thestalos." He finger went towards the revealed Trap card, pointing out what it was even as the larger version on her field flipped up. "My Trap Card, Spell Vanishing, will destroy your Field Spell before it even has a chance to activate if I can send two other cards from my hand to the Graveyard. Not only that, but I can also remove any copies of the negated card you have in your deck and send them straight to the Graveyard as well." As she explained the effect, twin golden rays blasted out of the card's image and struck Lee's Duel Disk, removing his two other cards of "A Legendary Ocean" and vaporizing them into tiny bits. "And without those tricks, your deck shall tumble down."

Everyone was shocked at what just happened. Everyone but Lee, it seemed. He just stood silent for a moment and stared at the spot where his two other cards had hovered in the air before being destroyed, his gaze eventually falling down to regard his Duel Disk and deck almost quizzically. He was motionless as he seemed to be studying the deck, or lost in thought.

"_This isn't good," _Mitch thought as he witnessed the events unfold, "_that was the big trick of his deck. Without the Legendary Ocean, he won't be able to swarm the field as effectively or even activate half of his most powerful monsters' effects." _ He watched as Lee stood unmoving and began to wonder if it wasn't because he was in shock.

And then Lee started laughing. A loud, riotous, and even jovial laugh that would've drowned out Rose's previous mocking laughter. One that also confused everybody else and pissed poor Rose right off without even trying hard. Clutching his hand to his side, Lee winded down with tears in his eyes and looked back over at his opponent with nothing but mirth showing on his face. "Oooh boy," he chuckled before he took a breath to calm down his giggles, "Sorry 'bout that, missy." Straightening up, he glimpsed at his hand for a second before continuing. "You think these," he contended as he waved his hand of cards at her, "are made useless without my Field Spell? You think I'm just gonna roll over and die even as you threaten my friends?"

"Prove me wrong, student." she seethed quietly.

"All right, you asked for it!" Lee laughed merrily before smiling widely at Rose. "Here goes! I summon Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness," he declared as he slapped the card into a slot on his duel disk. The card summoned a hulking blue humanoid who seemed part man and part fish. He wore chitinous plate armor, carried a large and deadly trident, and wore a helm that covered a mouth that was no doubt filled with needle-like sharp teeth. "All right, old buddy! Let's make some shish-ka-bobs out of that Solar Flare Dragon! Attack! Surging Trident Strike!"

The Sea Serpent Warrior acted immediately. With a deep growl coming from behind its helm, the aquatic knight readied its trident and launched a flying charge at Rose's Solar Flare Dragon. Water had begun jetting out from the back of its weapon, acting like a thruster that propelled both it and the Warrior wielding it until it seemed that it was riding upon a tidal wave to its target. But right before the Sea Serpent Warrior was about to deliver its fatal lunge with its trident...

"I said that I wouldn't allow it," Rose declared as she revealed her second trap. A grid of green lines flashed around the center of the playing field, catching the Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness and forcing it back like it had hit a net of some kind. "My Gravity Bind prevents any monster of Level 4 or higher from attacking. You will not be 'making a shish-ka-bob' out of anything. Least of all my precious dragon."

Lee only had to smirk once before Rose's eyes widened in surprise. "Heh, wait for it," the Ra Yellow student laughed before he reached for a third card from his and slapped it onto his Duel Disk. Not even a second later, a tremendous whirlwind came roaring through the newly materialized card and ripped through the glowing net of Gravity Bind with ease. "Mystical Space Typhoon destroys your Gravity Bind! Carry on, Serpent mah man! Round Two! Let's go!"

An angry shout was the Sea Serpent Warrior's only reply to Lee before water came once again jetting out from the back of its trident. The blast of water managed to slow the Warrior's backwards momentum, carving out a path in the rock below him before launching him forward again upon another surging tidal wave. The Solar Flare Dragon on Rose's field only had time to roar and snap its jaws angrily at the trident-wielding soldier coming near, only to abruptly shriek in pain as the points of the trident pierced through its hide and skewered its molten insides. The Sea Serpent Warrior attacked further and drove the dragon back towards Rose with repeated lunges, smoke and flame oozing from the wounds each time the trident struck the dragon's hide. And it only stopped when the serpent warrior's charge had slammed the dragon into the flame wall surrounding the duel, driving Rose's monster into the flames to be consumed utterly into the ashes it had been born from.

Lee | Rose  
3500 | 3650

Rose shielded herself out of reflex as the flames retreated, growling at Lee as she lowered her arm. "I am not so easily defeated either."

"We'll see, missy," Lee declared as he set a card face-down. "I'll end my turn and see what else you think will stop me."

"Hmph," was Rose's simple reply as she drew her next card. Whatever it was, it was enough to draw a wicked grin across her face before she stared back at Lee with triumphant satisfaction. "Let's see how you handle this, then," Rose declared. "Rather than deal with such an annoying spirit, I shall destroy you now."

"Huhwhat?" Lee chocked as if he had done a double-take.

"I play the Spell Card, Monster Reborn, which let's me retrieve my fallen Solar Flare Dragon." she declared triumphantly with the card raised above her head, a familiar column of flame ushering in the return of the fallen Solar Flare Dragon.

"And?" Lee mused, "You're bringing it back just so I can smash it a second time?"

"As if I'd let you do that again." she taunted before selecting another card. "And since my Solar Flare Dragon was successfully Special Summoned, I can chain it to this card immediately. Inferno Reckless Summon! I select my other two Solar Flare Dragons!"

That was when two other columns of fire burst from the floor on Rose's field. Both of them carried within them the familiar serpentine outline of a Solar Flare Dragon, but the blaze somehow seemed much hotter and much brighter now that they were all appearing on the field at the same time. Twin roars from the last two dragons, followed by the one in the middle, filled the throne room of the Molten Fortress before all three Solar Flare Dragons turned their attention upon Lee and his Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness. Neither of the dragons could take the Warrior in single combat, but now they held the advantage of numbers on the field. And it was not their job to attack. Not yet.

"I will burn you and your friends into ash." Rose smiled wrathfully at Lee. Her arms became crossed over her chest as her three dragons assembled before her. "And then I will burn those ashes into nothing."


	31. Chapter 31

**-  
Chapter 31  
-**

Where once there was one...

Now there were three.

The sight of not one, but three, Solar Flare Dragons just about had Lee questioning how he was going to pull this off. One Solar Flare Dragon had been pretty bad all by itself, but now that Rose had managed to Special Summon two more of them, even Lee knew that he had act quickly before things turned out badly. Even now, as he stood there watching the three Dragons roaring in unison with one another, he could feel the heat of his opponent's confident glare upon him. "Well, this could be a problem." the boy managed to mutter to himself, his arm held up to shield himself from the hot wind coming from Rose's side of the field. He had just about had it with all of this heat coming at him, but what he could do about it? Nothing, at least for the moment. Lee wasn't nearly arrogant enough to not admit that. He just had to hope that his cards came through for him when he needed it most.

The roar of the Solar Flare Dragons reached a terrifying pitch, shaking the ground beneath his and Rose's feet and making the flames around them surge even higher...

Let's just hope that he could make it that far.

"HA!" Rose cackled victoriously from her side of the field. The look present upon Lee's expression had not gone unnoticed by her. "Not so high and mighty now, are we? Maybe now you'll start taking this duel seriously." The sound of her voice was almost scolding in nature, like an elder sister berating a younger sibling, but the smile upon her face curved upon her lips like the slithering of a serpent. Her hands came to rest upon her hips before she released another softer chuckle, her tone at once condescending and matronly. "There are two things I will tell you before I end my turn. First, you will not be attacking any of my Solar Flare Dragons."

Hearing that made Lee bristle a little bit. "And why is that, missy?" he replied almost irritably. "I blew up that darn Gravity Bind fairly easily, you know. And with that gone, that should make your monsters into open targets. Not only that, but I think I remember something about 'Inferno Reckless Summon' from class. Doesn't that also let me Special Summon two monsters of my own to the field?"

"Yes, but nothing more than other copies of what you already have."

"Well then," Lee chuckled, some of the old familiar mirth returning to his voice, "I guess I'll be digging the second and third Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness out of my deck."

And with that, a second and third Sea Serpent Warrior appeared on his side of the field. They appeared from a swirling vortex of water, joining the first with golden spears and glistening armor, and landed upon their feet with a dull thud next to their comrade. The way they seemed to glance at each other and nod was enough to give Lee some small amount of comfort while he stared down at Rose across the field. His monsters were stronger than any on her side. He could handle whatever she threw at him as long as he could keep up the power advantage.

"My monsters are bigger than yours, missy. I'll just have my Sea-Serpent Warriors mow 'em down as soon as my turn comes around again."

"That's where you're wrong, you fool," Rose retorted with a sneer upon her lips. "You're monsters are indeed 'bigger', as you put it, but that power is useless next to their other special ability. You see, in addition to their ability to roast you with Effect Damage every turn, they also have the ability to protect themselves from harm when there is another Pyro-Type monster on my field. And since _all _of my Solar Flare Dragons are Pyro-Type monsters..." she allowed a soft giggle to come through her lips before continuing. "I'm sure you can figure it out by yourself from there."

And sure enough, even as Rose was still speaking about her dragons' abilities, the three Solar Flare Dragons had already begun to slowly glide upon the air over their mistress's head. Their body writhed in the air like snakes of flame, entwining with each other until they almost seemed to become a single monstrous creature that moved like the threads of a giant living knot. Neither Lee nor any of the others watching from the sidelines could tell where one Solar Flare Dragon ended and the others began, and Rose simply lifted her arms as if in praise to her monster's power. "My dragons have denied you of your ability to attack. And now they'll deny you of your Life Points."

At with that, upon Rose's silent command, the heads of the three entwined dragons emerged from the flowing cluster of their bodies and directed their gazes upon Lee. Their mouths opened in union, roars and smoke rising from each one, and then a burst of flame erupted from each to bathe Lee in searing heat. The roar of the dragons was powerful enough to shake the cavern ceiling above everyone, but it wasn't quite loud enough to cover the painful screams coming from Lee as the flames raced over his body. Joe and Mitch couldn't help but grimace and look away from the scene, and Amy had turned to bury her face into Mitch's chest. Only Alan remained to watch Lee scream and burn before the dragons' flames finally ceased.

Lee | Rose  
2000 | 3650

When it was finally over, Lee had fallen to one knee and his hand had reached up to cover the burns seared into his left arm. Wisps of black smoke rose up from his clothing in swirling tendrils, and patches of his skin had turned a bit black with soot while the rest was merely red. What had saved him was perhaps the fact that he had tried to shield himself with the arm holding his Duel Disk, which was probably the only reason that he hadn't been completely covered in burns. His lungs were burning, and his eyes held an unusual faraway look in them as he finally struggled up to his feet once more. He stood like that for several moments, breathing heavily as he stared back at Rose with an uncharacteristically serious expression. "That wasn't very nice, missy," he breathed finally.

"Ha!" was Rose's only reply. "Being nice is nothing but a meaningless luxury. "Nice" doesn't survive here. Only those with strength and a fire burning inside them can survive long enough to have any meaning at all. The weak shall serve as nothing but fuel for those with that fire."

"You can't be serious," Lee breathed, surprise replacing his previous expression.

"Oh, you can be certain of that," Rose grinned, "I will destroy the weak myself to prove it." Rose raised her hands up to the ceiling and threw her head back in laughter. "The whole world will burn," she cackled, "and only the strong will survive the inferno. It will be glorious destruction."

"You...you're serious," Lee gasped as he stood up, "you really exist just to see things burn, don't you?"

"Am I once again baffling to you, little man?" she chuckled as she lowered her arms, "and I had thought something so simple would be easy for your pitiful mind to grasp. Yes, I 'exist just to see things burn'. That is a wonderful way of putting it. All will die, and Master Thestalos will be there to bask in the warmth of that destruction. For this, he has given me the power to make that happen. And for that, I will serve him. After all, when I am done and the destruction has ended, I care not what happens to the world then."

The words seemed to hang in the air for some time after Rose had spoken them. All Lee could do was stand there and mull over the meaning of those words, his head bowed and his hand still covering the burn upon his arm. Silence stretched just as it had earlier, but this one was far heavier than anything Lee had ever experienced. For once, he didn't seem to be all about lightheartedness and fun and games. His eyes had been opened to a side of people he had never wished to see, and now he looked as if he were trying to make sense of it all. How anyone could be so evil and so...selfish... was beyond him. The thought had been enough to make him fall back down to one knee on the ground again.

Joe thought as much as he watched Lee from the sidelines. His eyes, ever analytical and impartial, were watching his classmate with something akin to worry behind them. _"It isn't confusion this time," _Joe thought calmly. _"He's not going to raise his head this time with a witty comment that lightens the mood. How can you when facing such a foe? She just admitted that she wants only destruction, meaningless or not, and will settle for nothing less. How can you even face such a foe and not feel something about it? Shock, despair, anger... or hatred. That is the nature of all human beings when you get right down to it."_ Chancing a glance over, he found Mitch's face set in grim determination. _"He knows it too. This woman is undeniably evil."_ Looking over the others, he found Amy was still not looking and Alan's face unreadable.

Finally, a grunt from Lee brought Joe's attention back to the playing field. With a shout, Lee lifted his hand off his arm and pounded the floor. It was a motion born from shock, from anger, and from perhaps partly from Lee's frustration he had at himself. Up until now, he had not bothered to treat this whole situation seriously. Not just this duel, but everything up until now. Victor's games back at school. Their coming to the Duel Realm. Even their journey through it and all of the dangers they had faced. Lee had thought of it as almost nothing more than a virtual reality game. It was fun, it was amazing, and it had seemed too unreal to be anything different.

Until now. Now it seemed more real than anything else he had ever known.

And it was with that in mind, that Lee finally pushed himself back into an upright stance and stared down at Rose and her three dragons. His new stance revealed a face full of determination and lacking any hint of his previous humor. "You, missy," he declared, "are bad news. And I..." he paused, heaving a sigh, "I'm gonna have to stop you now."

"You cannot stop the blaze. You can barely stand but a grazing blow of my fury." she retorted caustically.

"That was not a grazing blow," he challenged as he pulled the next card out of his deck. The slightest of grimaces escaped him for a second before he continued. "You were thinking I'd pass out before the duel was finished. But luckily, I'm a bit tougher than I look." His eyes checked the card, and his face mirrored with a hint of disappointment before he slid it into his Duel Disk. _"Not exactly what I needed, but it should at least buy me one more turn. Here's hoping, anyway..."_ he thought before he lifted his eyes back to Rose. "I set one card and end my turn."

"Is that really the best you can do!" Rose called out to Lee. "If this is the measure of your skill, than I have nothing more to fear from you! I draw!" she cackled again as she drew her next card, only for her to point her finger at Lee once more. "And I'll have my Solar Flare Dragons roast you where you stand once more."

Upon her words once again, the heads of the dragons emerged from the coiling mass of their bodies and unleashed yet another great blaze at Lee. But rather than merely stand there and accept the flames coming at him, Lee hardened his gaze at Rose and threw out his hand...

"I activate the Trap I just set, 'Damage Polarizer'!" he shouted as the card rose up to intercept the flames roaring down at him. "If a source would deal Effect Damage to me, I can negate that damage and draw one card at the end!"

"Yes, but the breath of my two other dragons will still burn you alive!"

A round shield of azure light rose up from the Trap card standing between Lee and flames, and it managed to block one of the fiery streams coming down at him. However, it wasn't wide enough to block the breath of the other two Solar Flare Dragons, and they still managed to strike Lee squarely where he stood. Once again, the Ra Yellow duelist found himself covered in fire and another ragged scream was torn from his throat as the flames licked at his skin once more.

Lee | Rose  
1000 | 3650

Miraculously, Lee had managed to remain standing throughout the assault. Some parts of his skin had almost turned completely black and smoke was rolling off his clothing in hazy wisps, but his gaze upon Rose was clear and unflinching. "It's my turn now." he managed to choke out as he drew his next card. And when his eyes saw what card he had drawn, along with the one from 'Damage Polarizer', his eyes grew a little bit wider than before. "It's here!" he thought with no small amount of hope. "Maybe now I can turn this all around."

And with that, he lifted his gaze to Rose and then slapped down the first card onto his Duel Disk. "I sacrifice one of my Sea Serpent Warriors of Darkness to Tribute Summon this monster. Come on out, Divine Dragon Aquabizzare!"

Another and much larger waterspout had arisen from the field as soon as those words had left Lee's mouth, surrounding one of the Sea Serpent Warriors of Darkness before rising even higher to hide it completely from view. The sound of a strange and undulating cry could be heard coming from within the waterspout, along with a pair of golden reptilian eyes that stared outward through the watery veil. The flash of azure scales, the flick of motion from what looked like a red ribbon, and then the waters finally ceased to reveal the monster Lee had summoned. A massive and serpentine dragon-like creature not unlike the Solar Flare Dragon's coiling above Rose's side of the field, but one that was also much larger and obviously more of a sea-serpent than a true dragon. It had bright and blue scales that shined with a moist sheen of water, fins like a fish on its sides but the spiked crest of a dragon along its neck and back, and an almost square-shaped head that ended with small mouth and a long red tendril that flowed from the top of its skull down the length of its body.

And for the first time since the beginning of this duel, Lee let out a genuine and lighthearted chuckle. One that was filled with relief and hope. "Now I can finally put a stop to your ambitions once for all. And my friend Aquabizarre is just the monster to help do it."

Rose was more unconvinced than anything. "Oh really?" she retorted at Lee with her arms folding over her chest. "I fail to see how that's possible. No matter how big your pet serpent is, it's useless if it can't attack any of my Solar Flare Dragons."

"Yeah, really," Lee chuckled again. "And who said that I'd be attacking? You see, by Tributing another WATER monster, I can return a Continuous or Field Spell from my Graveyard to the top of my deck. And I'll be taking, you guessed it... 'A Legendary Ocean'."

Upon his words, the serpent Aquabizarre let out another undulating roar and twisted down to coil around one of the other Sea Serpent Warriors, roaring still as its body hit the warrior from sight while a golden glow came from within the coils of its serpentine body. When it finally uncoiled from around the warrior, the warrior itself was no longer there, but a card could be seen floating in the spot where it had once been standing. That card floated in stillness for a few moments before returning to rest on the top of Lee's deck, much to the disgust of Rose based from the look on her face.

"What good will that do for you. You can't play that card until you draw it on your next turn. By then, my Solar Flare Dragons will finally finish the job and burn away the rest of your Life Points."

"See, that's where you're wrong. This card will do me a world of good. I play the Spell card, Moray of Greed!" Lee countered as he pulled the second card he had drawn earlier. "This magic will allow my to draw three cards by exchanging a pair of WATER monsters from my hand with them, such as these two here," he explained as he revealed Aqua Madoor and Mother Grizzly in his hand.

Rose's eyes grew wide. "But that's foolish! You can possibly expect to draw your Field Spell now!"

"Wrong!" Lee shouted back with a finger of his own pointing back at Rose. "This is the part where the hero pulls it out, winning even as the odds say no."

The magic of Moray of Greed flashed into play upon the Duel Field, a blue jar appearing with an eel partially creeping out of it's opened top. Two cards rose up into the air and revealed themselves, one of them being 'Aqua Madoor' and the other being 'Mother Grizzly', before disappearing into the moray's grasp. Diving back in, it coughed up three cards to Lee before vanishing from sight.

"And without all the more pomp and circumstance, I think I'll finally play it the way it's always been meant to be played. I activate 'A Legendary Ocean!'" He watched with great amounts of satisfaction as the card activated, again, and began to reshape the room around himself and Rose. The flames gradually began to fade away again, this time surely being replaced by a torrent of twisting water and the ruins of an ancient underwater city surrounding them. The flow rushed out over the grates, washing way all the flames surround them. Thestalos, who seemed to being paying little attention to his minion's duel with Lee, turned his attention back to it with amusement as the waves lapped at his feet.

"And now a lesson in burning all your resources," Lee declare as he revealed the next card in his hand. "You might have saved your dragons from attacks, but they're still free game for effects of cards and monsters. Now I'll activate a second Spell! Big Wave Small Wave! I'll destroy my two monsters to Special Summon two other WATER monsters from my hand!"

A second wave of magic flowed out over the field as soon as Lee slid the card into place on his Duel Disk. The waters of the Legendary Ocean seemed to surge and expand as the magic entered inside and mingled with their essence, causing them to swell even more before forming into a heavy cascade of water that crashed over Aquabizzare and the last of the Sea Serpent Warriors of Darkness. The walls and floor of Thestalos's throne room shook once again, but this time it was a sound full of hope that stirred Lee into even greater action. The smile on his face was smug as he spoke again...

"...Come forth, Levia-Dragon Daedalus and Abyssal Kingshark."

All of a sudden, a set of four eyes opened from behind the falling waterfall and the shadow of a great and gaping could be seen opening beneath them. One pair of eyes, the upper pair, was crimson in color while the bottom pair was amber yellow. The shadowed mouth opened wider and wider, silence filling the chamber despite crashing of the waterfall, and a tremendous roar burst out from the monster the mouth belonged to, blowing away the waterfall and revealing the true and mighty form of Levia-Dragon Daedalus. Long and serpentine like Aquabizarre, but much _much_ larger than the smaller sea serpent, and with shimmering blue skin in place of fish-like scales covering its hide. Its limbs were not fins but short yet strong legs that ended in a trio of large claws, and the spined crest running along the length of its back seemed to glow and pulse with an inner elemental power.

Likewise, the form of Abyssal Kingshark had also been revealed behind the cascades wrought by Big Wave Small Wave. By comparison to Daedalus, it was much smaller but its body was heavily armored with bone and spined fins. A long lance-like blade jutted out from the "chin" of the Kingshark's skull-like face while cones of yellow light shone from its eyes. It's fins and spines seemed sharp as swords, and it seemed to move them with all the grace and skill of any humanoid swordsman.

And upon seeing the situation she now found herself in, Rose took a step back as she realized that she had nothing left in her hand or on her field. "No...you..." she gritted her teeth and glared back at Lee.

"Anybody else," Lee sighed, his smug expression faltering for a moment to show remorse. "Anybody else and I might not have had to do this. But you, missy, you're dangerous. You can't be left alone to do what you want. Daedalus.." he said as he lifted his gaze to the mammoth form of the Levia-Dragon. "Clear out the riffraff, will you?"

With light flashing within all four of its eyes, the Levia-Dragon Daedalus lifted its body and raised its head skyward to face the ancient ruins floating above the duel. It's mouth opened wide as another titanic roar burst out, the red crest running along its spine blazing brightly as the Levia-Dragon continued to call out to the Legendary Ocean.

And the waters of the Ocean responded in kind.

All of a sudden, the walls of falling water surrounding the two duelists and spectators begin to surge and spin faster and faster, forming into a single massive vortex of water that captured everything and everyone still inside of it. Alan and the others had to brace themselves and hang onto to each other to keep from being swept away, along with Rose and her three Solar Flare Dragons. The only ones who did not were Lee and Thestalos, who still sat calmly within his throne even as the enormous waterspout threatened to destroy everything within the throne room.

And when it was all over... Levia-Dragon and Abyssal Kingshark were the only monsters left on the field. In fact, they were the only cards _at all_ left on the field for either side.

It was a fact that Rose was realizing all too keenly right at that moment. Her face had twisted into a sneer that was at once defiant and terrified all at the same time, and she found herself once again backing away from the writhing and serpentine bulk of Levia-Dragon Daedalus. The presence of the Kingshark also didn't help her. In fact, it was that fact that seemed to infuriate her the most. "How is that possible!" she roared at Lee with her finger pointing accusingly at the Abyssal Kingshark. "I know about your accursed Levia-Dragon! How is that all of my monsters were destroyed, but yet none of yours were! To cheat during a sacred Duel is to forfeit your-!"

"Hold your horses, missy." Lee countered sternly. "I never cheat. Abyssal Kingshark has an ability that prevents it from being destroyed by an effect that doesn't target it once per turn. It was always safe from Daedalus's power right from the beginning. But not only that, shouldn't you be more concerned about yourself?" he said while pointing to Rose and her lack of cards on the field. "You're wide open. No Traps or monsters to save you this time around." He looked up at Daedalus and the Kingshark with a mixture of relief and solemn determination. "Levia-Dragon Daedalus and Abyssal Kingshark... Finish this duel."

The Levia-Dragon was the first to react, leaning back and craning its head before roaring out at Rose. An orb of icy blue light had already begun to form in the gaping maw of the king of sea-serpents, growing larger and larger with frosty power before unleashing in a beam of freezing aquatic power. At the same time, Abyssal Kingshark had taken off swimming for Rose, its fins and lance slicing through the air with ease. The icy beam of Daedalus was the first to strike, but the piercing lunge of the Abyssal Kingshark was the one to finish things. Rose could only cry out as her body was struck by both attacks, the beam bathing over her body while the lance of the Kingshark sliced across her in a graceful arc.

Lee | Rose  
1000 | 0

Alan let out a cheer as Mitch pumped his fist in victory, but the cheers were short lived as the splash subsided and they saw Rose. Coated in flames that had not been there until a moment ago, she staggered back as the water around her quickly evaporated. Her gaze no longer on Lee, she was instead looking behind herself, to Thestalos with a pleading expression. He was unmoving, and his expression as unreadable behind his helmet as always. It was a scant few seconds before she was consumed in her own flames. "A pity," they heard Thestalos murmur.

His opponent defeated, Lee collapsed to the ground for a second's reprieve as Joe and Alan moved to help him. But as soon as they had began moving, the flames they had thought gone rose forth again to cut them off from each other. There was a loud hiss as the last of the water met with the flames to produce a miasma of white steam, forcing everyone present to notice them. It was a reminder to Lee and everyone else that Lee's part in this was not yet done. The circumstances of the previous Duel were still in effect, and he would be forced to face off against the Firestorm Monarch himself before being allowed to rest and recover. Turning back to look at Thestalos, they could see that he was now standing up, his cape thrown aside to reveal a large and ornate duel disk. "You do recall what is required of you, human." he called out to Lee. It was not a question. "As the victor, it is now your duty to challenge me."

"He can't do that," Mitch called out. _"The guy can barely stand with his burns. Hell, taking a break from dueling is the least of his concerns, but it's certainly a start."_

"The terms of our encounter were clearly laid out," Thestalos declared, his attention now baring down on Mitch. "You would break the accord you established as if they were nothing? I thought you were the heroes, and I the villain. Yet you cannot even follow your own rules?"

Mitch began to open his mouth, ready to challenge Thestalos over who's rules they were, when suddenly a new presence announced itself. Four figures cloaked in dark blue robes descended from nowhere, forming a circle around Lee. The figure directly between him and Thestalos was the one step forward and offered a short bow to the Firestorm Monarch. "My apologies, but your combatant is clearly unable to continue," he declared.

"And who are you that so brazenly interrupts my challenge?" Thestalos rumbled irritably.

The figure held out out his arms and shrugged. "My apologies for not introducing myself properly," the figure placated before giving another, much deeper, bow, "I am his substitute."

"The rules allow for no substitutes."

"Ah," the figure interjected with a raised finger. "But what say we clear his field, yet keep his current Life Points? Certainly you were declare that a fair trade?"

Thestalos stood for a moment to consider the deal before he began chuckling. "Heh, you humans. So full of yourselves. That passion, that flame is the only redeeming quality I find in your kind." The monarch chuckled again. "Fine, I will allow for such a substitution, but it will be you that takes his place and no other."

"I would have it no other way," the figure agreed before turning to face his partners and Lee. Motioning to one, he pointed at Lee. "Take him over to his friends and see if you can do something for the arm. It looks rather delicate at the moment." One of the other robed figures, a particularly tall one, nodded and actually picked up Lee before walking over to where Mitch and the other were standing. The other two followed behind him as the first figure took Lee's place, a duel disk appearing from the folds of his robe. The water quickly receded as the Field Spell left play, leaving them once again with the reminder that they were in the heart of Thestalos's Molten Fortress "I will let you have the first action, milord."

? | Thestalos  
1000 | 4000

"Milord," Thestalos mused, "hmph. If you insist, I draw." The monarch studied his hand for a second before pulling out a card. "Let me remind you of who you face. I summon Solar Flare Dragon to the field. I also set two face-down cards before ending my turn."

Mitch looked over from his place next to Lee. The larger figure in the robes had shooed him away slightly as he wrapped up Lee's arm in some kind of gauze. _"That's the same play Rose started with!"_

"Hmm, that looks familiar," the first robed figure chuckled, voicing the same as what Mitch was thinking. "Unfortunately, I will not be repeating what the previous gentleman had done."

"Declaring defeat now, human?"

"Oh," the robed figure chocked, waving his hands as if trying to push away the idea, "Of course not." Taking a step back, he held out a hand and seemed to flick away the idea even further before turning back to Thestalos. "I'll finish this in one go."


	32. Chapter 32

**-  
Chapter 34  
-**

The flippant comment from the robed figure brought forth a glare to Thestalos' otherwise disinterested gaze. "Bah, you humans," he said with a wave of his hand. "Your breed is tainted with insanity. But no matter. Despite whatever fantasy you seem to be living, your next turn _will_ be your last and it _will_ be your defeat. A defeat that will not only cost you, but the other interlopers present very dearly." He said that with no disguise about which "other interlopers" he was talking about. And it was not the mysterious companions with which the robed figure had suddenly arrived with.

Just the thought was enough to make everyone else but Alan cringe at the thought. Here they were being forced to place all their hopes upon this one man, whom no one even knew, much less trusted. Not only that, but if the mysterious figure should lose, then it was likely that each and every one of them would simply be blasted on the spot into a smoldering pile of ash on the floor. Without a duel to fight and follow, they couldn't stand a chance at all against the Firestorm Monarch's raw power. And everyone one of them knew it beyond even the faintest shadow of a doubt.

The Monarch's opponent seemed to be the only one who thought otherwise. The shadow of his hood turned to glance at Alan and the rest of the group over his shoulder, followed by an insignificant shrug of his shoulders. "Oh, them? You can do whatever you'd like with them. Assuming that you survive this duel, that is."

The burning in Thestalos' gaze surged brighter when he heard that, but the anger barely restrained in his eyes was not heard in his voice when he spoke next. "I should be saying the same to you, little man," Thestalos commented. "You will know your place by this duel's end. I hereby finish my turn and loose my Solar Flare Dragon upon you."

? | Thestalos  
500 | 4000

Again the menacing serpent of fire leaned forward, gouts of flame pouring out from between its jaws before opening wide to unleash a breath of fire upon Thestalos' opponent. The air seemed to be melting beneath the dragon's breath, but the robed figure seemed hardly perturbed by it at all. The only reaction he seemed to give was a brief cringe while the folds of his cloak and robe billowed around him. Aside from that, he appeared completely untouched by the flames, drawing a gasp from the onlookers watching from the sidelines. Mitch and Joe couldn't believe what they seeing, the sight of the mysterious opponent standing unscathed within a circle of small flames, and Alan looked as if he somehow recognized the man's identity but couldn't quite remember it fully. Amy and Lee were simply watching the duel with apprehension, seemingly unfazed by the bizarre sights that so often came with duels fought in this world.

"Heh... You'll regret not taking me seriously, milord," he declared after drawing his next card. A quick glance at his hand told him all that he needed to know, and judging by his sudden assured demeanor it seemed that his own victory was assured. Much to the Firestorm Monarch's growing (and smoldering) chagrin. "Oh, I think you'll enjoy the irony in this," the robed man began before selecting the drawn card. "I summon Solar Flare Dragon to _my_ side of the field." And with that, an all-too-familiar flame erupted on the robed man's side of the field and unveiled yet another Solar Flare Dragon staring in opposition to Thestalos himself.

"...Blasphemer..." Thestalos uttered quietly, smoke and flame rising up from beneath his helm where his eyes shown clearly. "You attempt at turning my own element against me? Do you truly have a death wish? No, more than that... Do you wish to be eradicated from all planes of existence!" Holding out his massive hand, he clenched it before drawing it back. "I will _annihilate_ you for this insult! Behold my face-down, Slip Summon!" One of his face-downs revealed itself, depicting the image of two monsters having a showdown. "This card let's me summon out a monster in response to you summoning a monster. So the field shall become further consumed by the presence of flames. Appear now, Solar Flare Dragon!"

The fires, quite heated already, climbed as a third Solar Flare Dragon hit the field, this one twisting into a wall with the previous Solar Flare Dragon. Just as what Rose had done with Lee earlier in the previous duel. "And to seal your defeat, I activate my other face-down, A Rival Appears!" His second face-down revealed itself, this one of Ebon Magician Curran smacking aside White Magician Pikeru. "This one lets me summon a monster with the same level as a monster you control, and it so happens to be my _third_ Solar Flare Dragon!"

Mitch could barely contain himself as he watched the third Solar Flare Dragon appear on Thestalos's field, and the forth one on the field in general. The heat rolling off was enough to make him sweat, even at this distance. _"This is crazy,"_ he thought, _"that guy is gonna get cooked!"_

And yet, despite the overwhelming presence Thestalos had created, the man seemed unaffected by it all, even by the heat battering against his body and billowing his robe in the hot wind. "Milord... An observation if you will permit," he commented perhaps a little too politely. "But your hand appears to be completely empty."

"But my field is full." Thestalos rumbled in retort.

"Ah, that much is true" the figure replied, "but as you very well know, it is amazing how quickly things can change over the course of a duel. For example, a simple Spell Card can destroy it all. Such as this one. I activate the Spell Card, Special Hurricane. All monsters that were Special Summoned to the field are now destroyed." he said as he played his card while discarding another to activate it. Clouds were already forming above the field as he placed it, only to unleash a spiraling hurricane of wind and magic that suddenly split in two and drilled right through two of Thestalos' Solar Flare Dragon. There was a cry from each before the howling wind eventually deafened them into silence, leaving behind nothing but a few wisps of flame and a pile of black ash.

"Fool!" Thestalos cried in triumph. "Your effort was in vain! I still have my lone Solar Flare Dragon, and when you finish this turn, it will be all I need to end this farce of a duel!"

"Not so, milord." was all the robed man said in reply. "You would be correct, except my turn is not yet finished. I also activate the Spell Card, Fissure, to remove your last dragon. It would normally destroy the single monster with the lowest Attack Power on the field, but since our monsters are identical, the Spell lets me decide which one to destroy in case of a tie."

Almost as soon as he placed his second card on the field, a great crack in the earth suddenly yawned open beneath the one remaining dragon Thestalos had on his field. The dragon seemed to float above it easily enough at first, but then a great wind suddenly kicked up and began drawing the writhing serpent lower and lower into the chasm as if it had become a black hole. The dragon screeched and roared in protest, but its struggles amounted to nothing before it was finally drawn into the pitch blackness within the chasm, right before the chasm suddenly shut like great jaws clamping over a favorite meal. The only trace of the dragon left after those earthen jaws had shut was a sudden of flame that billowed up from between the tiny gap of the chasm before it disappeared, a enraged cry coming from the entrapped dragon below as it was crushed between rock and stone.

The anger building in Thestalos was readily apparent by now despite his helmet and visor, a far cry from the disinterested composure he had shown only moments before. The heat of his anger was so intense that it even dwarfed the flames burning all around them, so much so that the stone floor beneath his feet was slowly melting into a shallow pool of molten red-hot lava. "You think this means you win? My Life Points are still whole and the Solar Flare Dragons are _far_ from my most powerful monsters!"

"Sadly, they are monsters you will never get to summon, milord," the figure commented again perhaps a little too politely, "Do not think that I had come unbidden into your fortress only to be savaged by you in a duel. I had come well-prepared in order to give you a worthy challenge, but it would seem that the Firestorm Monarch has become too arrogant and too lazy in order to give his opponent the same respect. I find it very sad that one such as you has fallenn so far, milord." And with that, the robed figure selected yet another Spell Card and placed it upon his Duel Disk. "Allow me to relieve you of having the burden of a heavy Graveyard. I activate Monster Reborn to resurrect one of your Solar Flare Dragons under my control."

Right at that moment, yet another pillar of flame erupted on the shrouded figure's field and revealed one of the Firestorm Monarch's very own Solar Flare Dragons. "I find this most lamentable, milord," the figure commented once again. "A mere mortal such as myself is beating you with your own tricks and element. I had been hoping to show you mine before the duel's end."

By now, Thestalos was quite literally burning with a nearly incoherent rage. This mortal, this _insect_, dared to chastise the great Firestorm Monarch! And within his own Molten Fortress, no less! It was enough to make Thestalos clench a gauntlet-covered hand over and over again, rage building each time with the motion until flame had erupted over both of his hands in a blazing aura of orange light. His pride, not only as a duelist but also as a Monarch, was being trampled underfoot by the filthy heels of some _dirty_ human! "I will no longer stand for any of this, little man," Thestalos rumbled ominously from behind his helmet. His rage had suddenly gone from blazing flames to a quietly simmering boil that showed itself with nothing but an orange glow from the slits of his visor. It was not the rage of a wildfire, but the rage of a boiling volcano. Slow, deliberate, and building pressure so that nothing would survive when it was finally unleashed.

Standing back up to his full height, he crossed his arms defiantly. "I will give you this, little man. You saw through my strategy and stole the monster I had been intending to raise from beneath me. There have been very few in your human lifetimes that could've done what you have. But do you think this means anything? Humans are small and fragile, while we Monarchs are the every embodiment of the elements themselves. Suppose you somehow do manage to defeat me. What then? Even without their master to guide them, the flames of my minions' wrath will assure your total destruc-"

"Pardon me for interrupting, milord," the cloaked figure interrupted with a raised hand "But I have heard far more fire-themed metaphors this day than what I think is tolerable. If you don't mind, may we continue the duel instead?"

Mitch chuckled at the insult, but couldn't help notice that one or two of the other cloaked figures were distracted by the comment. However, they didn't say anything as he continued to berate Thestalos.

"It' is your single focus upon the element of Fire that has assured your own defeat, milord. Just as much, if not more so, then has your total disregard for the "lesser beings" you consider to be nothing more than minions and cannon fodder. I knew that the moment I challenged you that your anger would flare at the notion of some small pitiful human like me, and that you'd fall into making the same mistake that befell your late minion. I believe her name was Rose...? But that hardly matters. The point is that you and she both have underestimated the opponents you face. It cost dear Rose her very life, and it will cost you your rule."

Through it all, Thestalos was completely unreadable as he stood completely still with his arms crossed over his armored chest. He took the barrage of insults and chastising comments seemingly in stride, but there was no mistaking the angry orange glow that was slowly appearing behind the gaps of his suit of armor. "And now look at where that blissful arrogance has got you. I have two monsters with enough combined power to inflict 3000 points of damage to your life's essence. And at the end of the turn, the dragon's will burn the remainder of your life to nothingness. Irony, isn't it? The great Firestorm Monarch being consumed by the flames of his own pride."

"My death still means nothing." Thestalos rumbled. "Unlike you humans, our shell is not as weak as to be defeated by something as trivial as death. I will be reformed anew in time, and my first act will be to find you, your ancestors, and any progeny that you may have. I will burn the taint of your blood away from _all_ the worlds if need be to satisfy my vengeance."

"Oh, I know this very well," the figure retorted oh-so-politely again, "If you are referring to the card trick so fondly used by the Monarchs, then I am well aware of that. In fact, I know more than most do, including these little interlopers and even yourself. Not only that, but I don't think you realize exactly what they are planning. I would doubt that even they themselves knew exactly what they are being guided to do."

"_What is he going on about now?" _Mitch thought. He remembered what happened to to Zaborg when he was defeated. Victor had said something about their cards being a prison. A trap for strong Duel Monsters when they were defeated. What was this guy talking about now? 'Little card trick'? Something didn't add up here, and Mitch was afraid it was probably because there was something Victor hadn't been completely honest about. Not that he was very surprised about it, but still...

"Very well," Thestalos agreed, perhaps a little unexpectedly. "You have me at a disadvantage, I will admit that. And you also appear to be in possession of... startling knowledge. But know this... You have me defeated today, but it will not be so in the future. And unlike my younger brother, I will accept my defeat with grace. But I do not intend to stay down where I am at, little man. I will find you when the time is right. And when I do, there will be nothing left of your body or soul to even rot in the earth afterward."

"We shall see, milord," the man nodded respectfully before snapping his fingers at the dragons and pointing at Thestalos. The dragons roared into action, leaping forward and unleashing a gout of flame onto the former master of one of them. The monarch actually attempted to shield himself from this blow, his survival instincts kicking in slightly too late. A growl rose up from behind his helm, but it was suddenly cut short when the robed man signaled the end of his turn, allowing the dragons to unleash a second and even larger gout of flame at the Firestorm Monarch. Thestalos did not even attempt to defend himself this time from the blistering heat.

? | Thestalos  
500 | 0

And with that, Thestalos was undone. The mighty form of the Firestorm Monarch suddenly fell to one knee as heavy labored breathing started coming from behind the visor of his helm. The orange glow of his body within the armor had begun pulsing erratically, almost like a dying fire right before its last moments. The red glow of his eyes were pulsing the same away as all the strength left his limbs, and Thestalos found himself collapsing into an enormous metallic heap on the ground before the others present. It was a sight that actually brought a very small yet benign chuckle from the robed figure as he approached the fallen Monarch. "Forgive my insolence, Lord Thestalos. But I suddenly find it very hard to believe that _he_ actually you considered to be one of his greater threats, given your performance just now."

"Who are you?"

The figure knelt down, a motion not particularly necessary given that Thestalos was still massive despite having fallen to the ground. "I am a nobody. Just a messenger, and perhaps a critic as well. For the latter, I will comment about how your reputation has made you weak. How long has it been since your authority has actually been challenged? You have become so bloated and isolated as to become predictable. You are but a spark of what you once were. Rumor has it they start wildfires, but they're nothing that a little splash of water can't handle."

"And as for the former?" Even as Thestalos prodded, his image began to fade. It would be a mere moments before his existence in his current state disappeared and he was returned to a card.

"Ah yes," the figure chuckled, "how rude of me. I come bearing a message from _my_ master." The figure stood up and made a formal bow. "He bids you with the following. Farewell, and may you be more careful of little splashes in your next existence. Sincerely, Mobius."

If Thestalos's face could be seen, it would be seen that his eyes had grown wide at that comment. "That traitorous-" he managed before he completely faded away. He left nothing but his card, which quickly found its way into the figure's hand as the flames surrounding him began to subside. Looking up, he smiled to himself as one of his companions approached.

"He is defeated. And that..." the other noted, motion to the card in his hand.

"Yup," he chuckled. "Why don't we go introduce ourselves to those 'heroes' and get this show going?"

The other figure shrugged, obvious annoyance in her voice. "Bah, might as well. The sooner the better."

Stepping over to where everyone else was gathered, the man surveyed Lee and noted with satisfaction that the burns had appeared much worse than they actually were. "It seems your friend will escape with quite a lot of him intact, a fact is that surprising given the punishment he took," he commented at Mitch.

Mitch, finally able to approach the figure now, stepped up and stared hard at the cloaked man. "So it would seem," Mitch sighed, "So I guess I get to the part that makes me sound ungrateful. It's not solely because I don't trust you, because I don't... But I need to know who you are, and why you're helping us."

"Oh, of course," the man chocked, pushing back the hood of his cloak. The face that was revealed matched Mitch in age, give or take a few years. His hair was black, slicked back and spiked at the ends. Bemused eyes stared back evenly at Mitch as he smirked. "My name is Damien Helzberg, and I come on an errand of milord Mobius the Frost Monarch."

Alan looked up from where he was sitting with Amy and Mitch simply regarded the man with a very harsh and very cold stare. "I should've figured as much. Being saved by someone from an opposing element somehow makes a bizarre sort of sense."

"Yes," Damien smiled, apparently unfazed by the reaction he'd gotten. "He sent me with this statement: 'To those who work to end the reign of the Monarchs. You are hereby requested and required to make an appearance in my domain, located in the frozen reaches of the Umiruka. Do not be late.'"


End file.
